BLUES & BEYOND: Peace, love, music, and heat

Reflections on Woodstock and the Atlanta International Pop Festival’s 50th anniversaries

Photo credit: Fab McKown

BAND OF GYPSYS: Local blues and soul band ThunderGypsy keeps ’60s festival music alive.

By Hal HorowitzThursday August 1, 2019 01:34 pm EDT

There’s plenty of activity surrounding the 50th anniversary of both Woodstock and the first Atlanta International Pop Festival this summer, with features, tribute concerts and a definitive Woodstock 38xCD box set. These were not the first major, multi-artist rock-oriented events of their era — Monterey Pop got there in 1967 — but they remain two of the most historically significant due to both their size (over 100,000 for Atlanta, upwards of 500,000 in Woodstock) and how their mostly hippie audiences reflected the flower child/socio-political nature of those times.

Even though Woodstock received the majority of press and attention due to its successful documentary, the acts that played the Alex Cooley-produced Atlanta Pop Fest on Friday and Saturday July 4 and 5, 1969, were more racially diverse and blues oriented than those on the bill at the upstate New York concert. The two shows shared many of the same roots-based artists; Canned Heat, Joe Cocker, Sweetwater, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Janis Joplin, and Johnny Winter hit the stage first at Atlanta Pop then moved to larger crowds at Woodstock. But Atlanta also had Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Spirit, the Staple Singers, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Al Kooper, and of course, Led Zeppelin to promote their debut release.

The music influenced Georgia musicians and business people. Delta Moon co-founder and frontman Tom Gray was at both the ’69 and ’70 Atlanta fests, but has the fondest memories of the first one. Besides the 100-degree heat (fire trucks were brought in to spray the crowd with water) he remembers, “I was a teenage kid getting a sunburn down front for Led Zeppelin, Paul Butterfield, and Booker T and the M.G.’s. The Staple Singers — four voices and Pop's guitar — were not as loud but delivered a powerful set.”

Gray talks about passing out and waking up to a blurred vision of Johnny Winter. Also stepping over bodies to see “Canned Heat with the original lineup ... followed by the closing act of the night, Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was magic.”

Larry Robertson, owner of Pine Tree Music, a management and promotion firm for legacy acts, and a cinematographer and video director, worked on the Atlanta Pop stage crew and also attended Woodstock. He felt the Atlanta gig was better organized but still considers it “barely controlled chaos.” Robertson has a vivid memory of talking with Janis Joplin who came to see the site a few days before the festival. He was especially impressed with “an opening set that Jimmy Page did where he just played acoustic and was pretty amazing,” and was blown away by both the Staple Singers and Delaney & Bonnie. Robertson also tells of the unscheduled appearance from Grand Funk Railroad, who drove down from Detroit in a beat-up Cadillac and talked their way into opening the festival. Overall he recalls the audience as “polite Southern kids.”

The music of both events still resonate with local soul/blues purveyors ThunderGypsy, winner of 2017’s Atlanta blues challenge. Frontwoman/singer Heather Statham wasn’t born when the fests happened but has been preparing her quartet for this 50th anniversary by adding songs associated with the acts into their sets. With her powerhouse voice, the Joplin material is a natural fit. But the group also includes Santana, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat (“Going Up the Country” is a consistent crowd-pleaser), Joe Cocker, Creedence, and the Jefferson Airplane in their shows.
“Putting our own spin on it but [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[also] just honoring the music of the event,” Statham says. “The festival was a turning point in our musical history.”

ThunderGypsy highlights its Woodstock/Atlanta Pop covers on August 22 at Roswell’s Gypsy Rose club. But the group is keeping the tunes in its set for the entire year and adding more as it progresses. The Red Light Café hosts a Woodstock tribute on August 17 with local acts playing three songs each. There is also the Rockstock in Woodstock concert the same day for those who want to experience Woodstock in its Georgia namesake city. It’s kid-friendly so leave the cussing, drugs, and nudity at home.

With our current divisive political climate, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the good music and peaceful vibes these festivals espoused.

August gets even hotter with these show highlights.

Fri., Sat, Aug. 2-3— Tedeschi Trucks Band, Fox Theatre. With Blackberry Smoke and Shovels & Rope. Get ready for the TTB’s yearly stop at the Fox, this time for a two-night stand. Blues, soul, gospel, and jazz are all fair game for the ex-Allman Brothers Band guitarist, his singer/guitar-playing wife, and a sprawling band with three horns, three backing singers, and two drummers. Blackberry Smoke is a supporting act that can almost headline the venue on its own.

Fri., Aug. 9— Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, The Vista Room. Carrier and his crew have been keeping authentic zydeco flames hot for decades, playing thousands of one-nighters and leaving the dance floor pooled with sweat.

Sat., Aug. 10— Decatur BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass Festival, Legacy Park/Decatur. There aren’t many festivals that combine blues and bluegrass, let alone any that have been doing it for nearly 20 years. This year Honeywood handles the bluegrass, local icon Sandra Hall takes care of the blues, and headliner Randall Bramblett delivers organic blues, rock, soul, and even pop. Better still, some of the profits benefit the Community Center of South Decatur.

Sun., Aug. 11— Peter Frampton, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin, Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. This is Frampton’s farewell tour due to a recent diagnosis of inclusion body myositis, a rare and incurable inflammatory condition which causes muscles to weaken slowly. Interestingly, he has decided to leave with a pure blues album, appropriately titled All Blues, the first of his career. Opener Bonham makes no bones about being a Zepp cover band, but at least he has the chops and genes to pull it off authentically.

Wed., Aug. 14— Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers, City Winery. Saxist Abair started out as a jazz fusion player, but gradually shifted gears to Southern rock (Gregg Allman guested as vocalist for a 2014 track). With her connection to the Boneshakers, she veers into roaring blues rock. Expect music from her new album, No Good Deed, a rollicking, swamp-rocking time featuring her honking sax sparring with Randy Jacobs’ guitar.

Fri., Aug. 16— Shawn James, Masquerade. “I will follow you down to the gates of hell,” bellows singer/songwriter Shawn James on the opening track of his new release The Dark & The Light. And with his powerful vocals over a mix of swampy, bluesy, soulful rock, you believe him. On his fourth album in seven years, James uses his room-rumbling voice to convey hope in dark times.

Sat., Aug. 17—The Kentucky Headhunters, Etowah River Park, Canton. Greasy, tough country mixed with blues and Southern rock doesn’t get much more blistering than the Headhunters, some of whose personnel started playing together in the late ’60s.

Wed., Aug. 21— The Bird & the Bee, Aisle 5. Greg Kurstin and Inara George (daughter of Lowell) mix tropicalia, folk, pop, and jazz into a sweet, often playful concoction as refreshing as a cold beer on a hot day. They love rearranging rock, soul, and pop classics,so expect mellifluous and charming covers of everyone from Hall & Oates to David Lee Roth-era Van Halen, the latter the sole focus of their new album Interpreting the Masters Vol. 2.

— Marcia Ball, City Winery. Texas and Louisiana music meet head-on in the fingers of long tall Marcia Ball, whose voice is starting to show the wear of nearly 40 years of touring. But when she lets loose on those 88s, her talent is jaw-dropping.

— Eric Steckl, Madlife Stage & Studios. Blues rocking guitar slinger Steckl (he also plays keyboards) released his first album in 2002 when he was all of 11 years old. Now, 17 years later, he’s refined his attack, cranking out flame-throwing electric blues licks. He calls his music “bluesmetal” — with power, passion, and soulful vocals that keep it from going overboard. Fans of the late Gary Moore or Thin Lizzy in their prime should take note.

Sat., Aug. 31— Hot Tuna, Variety Playhouse. Bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen have been working together since even before their days as original members in the Jefferson Airplane, well over 50 years ago. They are as comfortable playing acoustic folk blues as plugging in and boogying. That makes their audience of old hippies mixed with generation Y jammers unique and shows the broad appeal of their often funky or fingerpicked blues.

Sat., Aug. 31— Selwyn Birchwood, Blind Willie’s. Florida-raised Birchwood is part of the younger generation that has reinvigorated blues without resorting to infusing hip-hop or rock/metal overkill. He won Best New Artist at 2015’s Blues Music Awards, and 2017’s Pick Your Poison, his second disc for the esteemed Alligator label, showed he is in it for the long haul with his gruff, soulful vocals and gritty guitar.

Wed., Sept. 4— Mark Knopfler, Chastain Park Amphitheater. Mr. Dire Straits has accumulated an impressive catalog of solo and soundtrack music in the 25 years since he disbanded the group. His quicksilver guitar tone remains immediately recognizable, even if the songs on his post-Straits albums aren’t. You’ll get the “Money for Nothing” hits that put the butts in these very expensive seats, but Knopfler’s talent, and especially his under appreciated solo catalog, is deep and impressive.

More By This Writer

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Fallout from the pandemic has clobbered the music industry, too, of course, but as with everything else, those who make their living playing or supporting blues and roots styles are disproportionally affected. Most of these folks barely get by in the best of times: scraping music gigs together, perhaps in between other jobs, all of which have suddenly and sadly dried up. And, as of May, it’s hard to see when life will return to any kind of normal, even a “new normal,” whatever that looks like. Aside from recording songs about the situation (Spotify already shows almost two dozen tunes titled “Quarantine Blues,” including a driving Hendrix-styled instrumental from Atlanta’s up-and-coming guitarist Cody Matlock), everyone is trying to figure out what their next move is.
With that in mind, we reached out to Atlanta- and Georgia-based blues/roots musicians, publicists, venue owners, and radio DJs. We wanted to better understand where they are in this community, how they are currently coping, and what to look forward to when things start to get better. Their responses, grouped by category and edited for clarity and brevity, are below.
Musicians
Singer/songwriter EG Kight:
We have to keep the faith. People need music, whether it’s live, listening to albums, or online concerts. Music is a healer, and the world needs healing right now. I’ve not made a penny since this started. Because of a very slow internet connection where I live, out in the country, I can’t perform live shows online and get “tips.” So I’ve been finishing up some projects. I just finished a new record, and I’m working on a children’s book. Hopefully when they’re released, they’ll generate some income and make my fans smile. I can’t wait to perform live again and see all those smiling faces.
Guitar veteran Tinsley Ellis:
Hopefully by mid-June I’ll have some positive news to report. Right now it’s all about rescheduling tour dates for fall and beyond .… and lots of songwriting. Could my new album have come out at a worse time?
Singer/songwriter Michelle Malone:
I went from nine shows in 10 days to an abrupt halt on March 3. It took about two weeks to really get in the groove and for my anxiety to subside from all the cancellations. I’ve been hustling ever since: online streaming a few times a week, selling merch via my web store, and playing “four packs” (four songs) for local Atlantans in their yards. Having said that, I’d like to get back to performing in real music venues for live humans. However, until folks feel safe enough to gather, there’s not a lot to be done in person.
Tom Gray, Delta Moon:
Even before the lockdown, Delta Moon had already canceled our gigs following my diagnosis of lung cancer. I’m still undergoing chemo and immunotherapy and hoping for the best. As the old song says, the future’s not ours to see. But we hope the human race can somehow find a way to keep the air this sweet and the skies this blue.
Mark Johnson, Delta Moon:
I think this is going to be with us a while. Maybe there will be some backyard and house concerts first. Unfortunately, I don’t see a club scene until (the pandemic) is under control. In the meantime, I am using this downtime to woodshed, learn new music, collaborate, and write remotely. When the live music scene returns, I want to have my chops together!
Danny Dudeck, aka Mudcat:
I’ve performed porch concerts in midtown. The daily posts on Instagram keep my playing warm. I started self-promoting for narcissistic reasons but I got several moving messages — from friends, strangers, some nurses even — writing to tell me the small posts helped them. So I do it each day now. I organized a relay with 18 artists including Tinsley Ellis and Little Pink Anderson. We raised good money for Blind Willie’s employees. Virtual concerts are a surprising gift.
Heather, ThunderGypsy:
Unfortunately I was sick with the virus and tested positive. So even though venues were closed, I still wouldn’t have been able to sing or perform. Thankfully, I’m feeling better now. What we can control is how often we stream shows. Our main demographic is folks 45+, and they are more at risk to this virus. So if we can create more opportunities where they can stay safely in their homes, then it’s a win. If we want to play regularly, we have to cultivate our streaming presence until it’s safe for venues to open, then continue with a hybrid model of playing live and streaming.
Radio
Rich Pettit, “Good Morning Blues,” WRFG-FM:
To protect the health of the station’s 100+ volunteer broadcasters, the board and management have temporarily closed the studio in Little 5 Points. All airshifters are prerecording their shows at home. They are then uploaded for playback on the regular broadcast frequency, 89.3 FM, as well as the internet live stream, at their regular time (this continues at least through May). In some cases, hosts are submitting recordings of previously aired shows, featuring special content, notable artist interviews, etc. Personally, I miss being able to talk to listeners on the phone and play their requests. I can’t wait to get back to doing live radio.
Publicists
Mark Pucci, Mark Pucci Associates:
The coronavirus has impacted my blues/roots publicity business in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Directly because we’ve had several major cross-country tours canceled or postponed that we had already started advancing publicity for in the markets around the country. We’ve had to retreat from interviews and show previews that were already in the works and hope that they can be rescheduled in the late summer, early fall if things improve. Indirectly, several new albums we had on the books for release in the spring and summer are now being put on hold or rescheduled for the fall, which means a loss of revenue to my company.
We’ve encouraged many of our clients to set up podcasts out of their home that can be live-streamed as a way to reach the fans and audiences. As far as the future, things are still up in the air as to when live music will be heard again in clubs. That’s where blues artists make most of their money — by selling merchandise off the bandstand at gigs. With that revenue stream gone, many artists are having a tough time. The same can be said for clubs like Blind Willie’s in Atlanta. Once they reopen, it’s more important than ever that blues fans support both the clubs and the artists performing this great seminal form of American roots music.
Jill Kettles, Miss Jill PR
Since January, I have been working album campaigns from all the roots music genres. Publicity is always needed, now more than ever. It is crucial to stay in the spotlight — it carries the musician’s career as well as mine. As the days wear on, I’ve gotten more interested in the future: What does this mean for the next two, five, even 10 years? That is the challenge we face — time to reinvent the industry and ourselves. I have been peeling people off floors, ceilings, and walls, and telling them, Get up and look around — be brave! It’s a brand new world.
George Klein, Atlanta Blues Society:
The Atlanta Blues Society has always taken pride in our weekly online calendar. It has continually provided extensive listings for as many local and national touring blues/roots artists as our editors can find. It’s the go-to site for much live (blues) music in the metro Atlanta area. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, not only have we have published links to many seemingly legit social media sites streaming live music, but our calendar lists numerous local and national touring artists’ dates and times for their live streaming shows — all in an effort to keep the blues alive.
Clubs
Eric King, Blind Willie’s, True Blues Productions:
It’s already been a tough time in the blues with the passing of Houserocker Johnson, Spencer Bohren, Beverly Watkins, and Dr. John. We’re doing what we can to support our staff and performers and hang on. The coronavirus will change a lot of things; we don’t know what the future will look like. We do know Blind Willie’s will reopen. Our landlord has been very understanding. But the longer this goes on, the higher the expenses. Booking agents are calling to get fall dates for their acts. The blues came from bad times .… we’ll survive the coronavirus as well.
Record Labels
Michael Rothschild, Landslide Records:
All independent, roots-oriented labels depend heavily on their artists being on tour for exposure and bandstand sales. As stores and venues closed, things tightened up financially. Nevertheless, given ongoing digital and online sales and our commitment to the acts we represent, we continue to promote releases to distributors, radio stations, and press outlets per usual. A plus: Mail orders have increased during this period, which helps. A drawback: Long-awaited vinyl pressings have been delayed because pressing plants had to shut down. We also had to postpone a spring blues release to an undetermined date, hopefully later this year, when the artist is able to play live again. —CL—
Please send upcoming blues events to consider for CL’s Blues & Beyond concert calendar to hal.horowitz at creativeloafing.com."
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Fallout from the pandemic has clobbered the music industry, too, of course, but as with everything else, those who make their living playing or supporting blues and roots styles are disproportionally affected. Most of these folks barely get by in the best of times: scraping music gigs together, perhaps in between other jobs, all of which have suddenly and sadly dried up. And, as of May, it’s hard to see when life will return to any kind of normal, even a “new normal,” whatever that looks like. Aside from recording songs about the situation (Spotify already shows almost two dozen tunes titled “Quarantine Blues,” including a driving Hendrix-styled instrumental from Atlanta’s up-and-coming guitarist Cody Matlock), everyone is trying to figure out what their next move is.
With that in mind, we reached out to Atlanta- and Georgia-based blues/roots musicians, publicists, venue owners, and radio DJs. We wanted to better understand where they are in this community, how they are currently coping, and what to look forward to when things start to get better. Their responses, grouped by category and edited for clarity and brevity, are below.
Musicians
__Singer/songwriter EG Kight:__
We have to keep the faith. People need music, whether it’s live, listening to albums, or online concerts. Music is a healer, and the world needs healing right now. I’ve not made a penny since this started. Because of a very slow internet connection where I live, out in the country, I can’t perform live shows online and get “tips.” So I’ve been finishing up some projects. I just finished a new record, and I’m working on a children’s book. Hopefully when they’re released, they’ll generate some income and make my fans smile. I can’t wait to perform live again and see all those smiling faces.
__Guitar veteran Tinsley Ellis:__
Hopefully by mid-June I’ll have some positive news to report. Right now it’s all about rescheduling tour dates for fall and beyond .… and lots of songwriting. Could my new album have come out at a worse time?
__Singer/songwriter Michelle Malone:__
I went from nine shows in 10 days to an abrupt halt on March 3. It took about two weeks to really get in the groove and for my anxiety to subside from all the cancellations. I’ve been hustling ever since: online streaming a few times a week, selling merch via my web store, and playing “four packs” (four songs) for local Atlantans in their yards. Having said that, I’d like to get back to performing in real music venues for live humans. However, until folks feel safe enough to gather, there’s not a lot to be done in person.
__Tom Gray, Delta Moon:__
Even before the lockdown, Delta Moon had already canceled our gigs following my diagnosis of lung cancer. I’m still undergoing chemo and immunotherapy and hoping for the best. As the old song says, the future’s not ours to see. But we hope the human race can somehow find a way to keep the air this sweet and the skies this blue.
__Mark Johnson, Delta Moon:__
I think this is going to be with us a while. Maybe there will be some backyard and house concerts first. Unfortunately, I don’t see a club scene until (the pandemic) is under control. In the meantime, I am using this downtime to woodshed, learn new music, collaborate, and write remotely. When the live music scene returns, I want to have my chops together!
__Danny Dudeck, aka Mudcat:__
I’ve performed porch concerts in midtown. The daily posts on Instagram keep my playing warm. I started self-promoting for narcissistic reasons but I got several moving messages — from friends, strangers, some nurses even — writing to tell me the small posts helped them. So I do it each day now. I organized a relay with 18 artists including Tinsley Ellis and Little Pink Anderson. We raised good money for Blind Willie’s employees. Virtual concerts are a surprising gift.
__Heather, ThunderGypsy:__
Unfortunately I was sick with the virus and tested positive. So even though venues were closed, I still wouldn’t have been able to sing or perform. Thankfully, I’m feeling better now. What we can control is how often we stream shows. Our main demographic is folks 45+, and they are more at risk to this virus. So if we can create more opportunities where they can stay safely in their homes, then it’s a win. If we want to play regularly, we have to cultivate our streaming presence until it’s safe for venues to open, then continue with a hybrid model of playing live ''and'' streaming.
Radio
__Rich Pettit, “Good Morning Blues,” WRFG-FM:__
To protect the health of the station’s 100+ volunteer broadcasters, the board and management have temporarily closed the studio in Little 5 Points. All airshifters are prerecording their shows at home. They are then uploaded for playback on the regular broadcast frequency, 89.3 FM, as well as the internet live stream, at their regular time (this continues at least through May). In some cases, hosts are submitting recordings of previously aired shows, featuring special content, notable artist interviews, etc. Personally, I miss being able to talk to listeners on the phone and play their requests. I can’t wait to get back to doing live radio.
Publicists
__Mark Pucci, Mark Pucci Associates:__
The coronavirus has impacted my blues/roots publicity business in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Directly because we’ve had several major cross-country tours canceled or postponed that we had already started advancing publicity for in the markets around the country. We’ve had to retreat from interviews and show previews that were already in the works and hope that they can be rescheduled in the late summer, early fall if things improve. Indirectly, several new albums we had on the books for release in the spring and summer are now being put on hold or rescheduled for the fall, which means a loss of revenue to my company.
We’ve encouraged many of our clients to set up podcasts out of their home that can be live-streamed as a way to reach the fans and audiences. As far as the future, things are still up in the air as to when live music will be heard again in clubs. That’s where blues artists make most of their money — by selling merchandise off the bandstand at gigs. With that revenue stream gone, many artists are having a tough time. The same can be said for clubs like Blind Willie’s in Atlanta. Once they reopen, it’s more important than ever that blues fans support both the clubs and the artists performing this great seminal form of American roots music.
__Jill Kettles, Miss Jill PR__
Since January, I have been working album campaigns from all the roots music genres. Publicity is always needed, now more than ever. It is crucial to stay in the spotlight — it carries the musician’s career as well as mine. As the days wear on, I’ve gotten more interested in the future: What does this mean for the next two, five, even 10 years? That is the challenge we face — time to reinvent the industry and ourselves. I have been peeling people off floors, ceilings, and walls, and telling them, Get up and look around — be brave! It’s a brand new world.
__George Klein, Atlanta Blues Society:__
The Atlanta Blues Society has always taken pride in our weekly online calendar. It has continually provided extensive listings for as many local and national touring blues/roots artists as our editors can find. It’s the go-to site for much live (blues) music in the metro Atlanta area. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, not only have we have published links to many seemingly legit social media sites streaming live music, but our calendar lists numerous local and national touring artists’ dates and times for their live streaming shows — all in an effort to keep the blues alive.
Clubs
__Eric King, Blind Willie’s, True Blues Productions:__
It’s already been a tough time in the blues with the passing of Houserocker Johnson, Spencer Bohren, Beverly Watkins, and Dr. John. We’re doing what we can to support our staff and performers and hang on. The coronavirus will change a lot of things; we don’t know what the future will look like. We do know Blind Willie’s will reopen. Our landlord has been very understanding. But the longer this goes on, the higher the expenses. Booking agents are calling to get fall dates for their acts. The blues came from bad times .… we’ll survive the coronavirus as well.
Record Labels
__Michael Rothschild, Landslide Records:__
All independent, roots-oriented labels depend heavily on their artists being on tour for exposure and bandstand sales. As stores and venues closed, things tightened up financially. Nevertheless, given ongoing digital and online sales and our commitment to the acts we represent, we continue to promote releases to distributors, radio stations, and press outlets per usual. A plus: Mail orders have increased during this period, which helps. A drawback: Long-awaited vinyl pressings have been delayed because pressing plants had to shut down. We also had to postpone a spring blues release to an undetermined date, hopefully later this year, when the artist is able to play live again. __—CL—__
''Please send upcoming blues events to consider for CL’s Blues & Beyond concert calendar to hal.horowitz@creativeloafing.com.''"
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string(11273) " Shutterstock 1687276735 Web 2020-06-03T22:04:14+00:00 shutterstock_1687276735_web.jpg Hello HAL,
THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL ARTICLE & GREAT RESEARCH !! It is a tough time for ALL of us and, it's great to get a feel from the cross-section of Blues Enthusiasts which you included above. Please know that as Board Chairman of The Georgia Music Industry, Inc., it is not only my job to show concern, compassion and love for the Entire Music Industry in Georgia as well as the Blues Community which was so thoughtfully focused on here. As we know, it is a waiting game, but, as mentioned, WE KNOW THAT MUSIC HEALS and people depend on us as Songwriters, Singers, Performers, Club Owners, etc, to give them Hope, Direction and "Something" to hang onto during difficult times. Keep The Faith and we will come out of this Nightmare, Healthier, Safer and Happier with a new appreciation for the many things that we have just taken for granted in the past. Thank You Again, Hal for a great article, AND Prayers to You, Yours, The United States, AND THE GLOBE! Yours for a Song, JAMES M. LEFAVOUR, GMIA, Board Chairman Now everyone has the blues 31429 2020-06-03T22:00:25+00:00 BLUES & BEYOND: Where do we go from here? jim.harris@creativeloafing.com Jim Harris HAL HOROWITZ 2020-06-03T22:00:25+00:00 Even if you’re not a blues music fan, you probably now have the blues. Thanks to the current coronavirus pandemic, the blues has hit virtually everyone. Whether it’s the loss of income, being furloughed from a job, or just time spent in quarantine, your life has probably taken a turn for the worse since mid-March.
Fallout from the pandemic has clobbered the music industry, too, of course, but as with everything else, those who make their living playing or supporting blues and roots styles are disproportionally affected. Most of these folks barely get by in the best of times: scraping music gigs together, perhaps in between other jobs, all of which have suddenly and sadly dried up. And, as of May, it’s hard to see when life will return to any kind of normal, even a “new normal,” whatever that looks like. Aside from recording songs about the situation (Spotify already shows almost two dozen tunes titled “Quarantine Blues,” including a driving Hendrix-styled instrumental from Atlanta’s up-and-coming guitarist Cody Matlock), everyone is trying to figure out what their next move is.
With that in mind, we reached out to Atlanta- and Georgia-based blues/roots musicians, publicists, venue owners, and radio DJs. We wanted to better understand where they are in this community, how they are currently coping, and what to look forward to when things start to get better. Their responses, grouped by category and edited for clarity and brevity, are below.
Musicians
Singer/songwriter EG Kight:
We have to keep the faith. People need music, whether it’s live, listening to albums, or online concerts. Music is a healer, and the world needs healing right now. I’ve not made a penny since this started. Because of a very slow internet connection where I live, out in the country, I can’t perform live shows online and get “tips.” So I’ve been finishing up some projects. I just finished a new record, and I’m working on a children’s book. Hopefully when they’re released, they’ll generate some income and make my fans smile. I can’t wait to perform live again and see all those smiling faces.
Guitar veteran Tinsley Ellis:
Hopefully by mid-June I’ll have some positive news to report. Right now it’s all about rescheduling tour dates for fall and beyond .… and lots of songwriting. Could my new album have come out at a worse time?
Singer/songwriter Michelle Malone:
I went from nine shows in 10 days to an abrupt halt on March 3. It took about two weeks to really get in the groove and for my anxiety to subside from all the cancellations. I’ve been hustling ever since: online streaming a few times a week, selling merch via my web store, and playing “four packs” (four songs) for local Atlantans in their yards. Having said that, I’d like to get back to performing in real music venues for live humans. However, until folks feel safe enough to gather, there’s not a lot to be done in person.
Tom Gray, Delta Moon:
Even before the lockdown, Delta Moon had already canceled our gigs following my diagnosis of lung cancer. I’m still undergoing chemo and immunotherapy and hoping for the best. As the old song says, the future’s not ours to see. But we hope the human race can somehow find a way to keep the air this sweet and the skies this blue.
Mark Johnson, Delta Moon:
I think this is going to be with us a while. Maybe there will be some backyard and house concerts first. Unfortunately, I don’t see a club scene until (the pandemic) is under control. In the meantime, I am using this downtime to woodshed, learn new music, collaborate, and write remotely. When the live music scene returns, I want to have my chops together!
Danny Dudeck, aka Mudcat:
I’ve performed porch concerts in midtown. The daily posts on Instagram keep my playing warm. I started self-promoting for narcissistic reasons but I got several moving messages — from friends, strangers, some nurses even — writing to tell me the small posts helped them. So I do it each day now. I organized a relay with 18 artists including Tinsley Ellis and Little Pink Anderson. We raised good money for Blind Willie’s employees. Virtual concerts are a surprising gift.
Heather, ThunderGypsy:
Unfortunately I was sick with the virus and tested positive. So even though venues were closed, I still wouldn’t have been able to sing or perform. Thankfully, I’m feeling better now. What we can control is how often we stream shows. Our main demographic is folks 45+, and they are more at risk to this virus. So if we can create more opportunities where they can stay safely in their homes, then it’s a win. If we want to play regularly, we have to cultivate our streaming presence until it’s safe for venues to open, then continue with a hybrid model of playing live and streaming.
Radio
Rich Pettit, “Good Morning Blues,” WRFG-FM:
To protect the health of the station’s 100+ volunteer broadcasters, the board and management have temporarily closed the studio in Little 5 Points. All airshifters are prerecording their shows at home. They are then uploaded for playback on the regular broadcast frequency, 89.3 FM, as well as the internet live stream, at their regular time (this continues at least through May). In some cases, hosts are submitting recordings of previously aired shows, featuring special content, notable artist interviews, etc. Personally, I miss being able to talk to listeners on the phone and play their requests. I can’t wait to get back to doing live radio.
Publicists
Mark Pucci, Mark Pucci Associates:
The coronavirus has impacted my blues/roots publicity business in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Directly because we’ve had several major cross-country tours canceled or postponed that we had already started advancing publicity for in the markets around the country. We’ve had to retreat from interviews and show previews that were already in the works and hope that they can be rescheduled in the late summer, early fall if things improve. Indirectly, several new albums we had on the books for release in the spring and summer are now being put on hold or rescheduled for the fall, which means a loss of revenue to my company.
We’ve encouraged many of our clients to set up podcasts out of their home that can be live-streamed as a way to reach the fans and audiences. As far as the future, things are still up in the air as to when live music will be heard again in clubs. That’s where blues artists make most of their money — by selling merchandise off the bandstand at gigs. With that revenue stream gone, many artists are having a tough time. The same can be said for clubs like Blind Willie’s in Atlanta. Once they reopen, it’s more important than ever that blues fans support both the clubs and the artists performing this great seminal form of American roots music.
Jill Kettles, Miss Jill PR
Since January, I have been working album campaigns from all the roots music genres. Publicity is always needed, now more than ever. It is crucial to stay in the spotlight — it carries the musician’s career as well as mine. As the days wear on, I’ve gotten more interested in the future: What does this mean for the next two, five, even 10 years? That is the challenge we face — time to reinvent the industry and ourselves. I have been peeling people off floors, ceilings, and walls, and telling them, Get up and look around — be brave! It’s a brand new world.
George Klein, Atlanta Blues Society:
The Atlanta Blues Society has always taken pride in our weekly online calendar. It has continually provided extensive listings for as many local and national touring blues/roots artists as our editors can find. It’s the go-to site for much live (blues) music in the metro Atlanta area. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, not only have we have published links to many seemingly legit social media sites streaming live music, but our calendar lists numerous local and national touring artists’ dates and times for their live streaming shows — all in an effort to keep the blues alive.
Clubs
Eric King, Blind Willie’s, True Blues Productions:
It’s already been a tough time in the blues with the passing of Houserocker Johnson, Spencer Bohren, Beverly Watkins, and Dr. John. We’re doing what we can to support our staff and performers and hang on. The coronavirus will change a lot of things; we don’t know what the future will look like. We do know Blind Willie’s will reopen. Our landlord has been very understanding. But the longer this goes on, the higher the expenses. Booking agents are calling to get fall dates for their acts. The blues came from bad times .… we’ll survive the coronavirus as well.
Record Labels
Michael Rothschild, Landslide Records:
All independent, roots-oriented labels depend heavily on their artists being on tour for exposure and bandstand sales. As stores and venues closed, things tightened up financially. Nevertheless, given ongoing digital and online sales and our commitment to the acts we represent, we continue to promote releases to distributors, radio stations, and press outlets per usual. A plus: Mail orders have increased during this period, which helps. A drawback: Long-awaited vinyl pressings have been delayed because pressing plants had to shut down. We also had to postpone a spring blues release to an undetermined date, hopefully later this year, when the artist is able to play live again. —CL—
Please send upcoming blues events to consider for CL’s Blues & Beyond concert calendar to hal.horowitz at creativeloafing.com. sdecoret via Shutterstock CORONA INFECTS THE BLUES: The roots music industry copes with a post-coronavirus world. 0,0,10 BLUES & BEYOND: Where do we go from here? "
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string(5396) "Blues isn’t the only music that Brooks Mason plays. It still isn’t even his main gig. But the Atlanta-based musician — who goes by the stage name Eddie 9-Volt — found there was an audience for his stripped-down, soulful mix of gutbucket Chicago-styled roots blues as found on Left My Soul In Memphis, his debut album released October, 2019. And it might prove to be even more lucrative than the music of his other band, indie rockers PREACHERVAN, with whom he continues to play, record, and most interestingly, share the same members with.
Mason remains enthusiastic about both outfits, but the recent accolades he has received for the Eddie 9V side of his split personality — most notably grabbing second place in 2019’s Atlanta Blues Challenge for the Band category and generating buzz in the blues community — might push the scales over to his pursuing that occupation full-time. Nonetheless, PREACHERVAN, which arrived first, has over a million streams on Spotify. Eddie 9V was only birthed in the summer of 2019, so he’s reluctant to bury the indie rock persona just yet.
Mason chose the 9-Volt alter ego to describe the style of blues he plays. “I came up with this character that I thought would be cooler (than his real name) of the late ’60s time period. Like a mobster nickname.” As for the 9-Volt part, “Someone described the playing as sounding like a 9-volt battery before it dies, with a lot of distortion and fizzing out.” He took a poll and found that older people preferred his real name, but the younger ones, like him — he’s 23 — leaned towards the 9-Volt pseudonym. Based on the reception, he seems to have chosen correctly. Initially, the concept of having the same band with different names was to double the touring and income. “We’re very very versatile. If a fraternity wants us, we’ll do PREACHERVAN.” Sometimes they book under both names. “It can get confusing,” he admits.
Blues hit the guitarist/singer/songwriter early, when he was in his early teens, but in a unique guise. He watched a video by The Dirty Mac (Keith Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell) on YouTube (the ad hoc band only played once, offering a version of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues” during The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus) in 1968. “I looked at the suggestion videos and saw Howlin’ Wolf. Who is that? He looks old and interesting.” The footage was a live Wolf show filmed during the Newport Folk Festival in 1966. “That just blew all the doors open. From there it was Magic Sam, Muddy Waters, … I’ve been hooked ever since.”
As Eddie 9V, his band captures the rawer sounds of ’50s and ’60s blues. He was exposed to many of the archetypal blues players from listening to, and then DJing on, WRFG-FM. The local nonprofit’s substantial blues programming was key to whetting the musical appetite of the teenaged Mason, back when such music wasn’t exactly the hippest thing going. “I was blaring Howlin’ Wolf in my car driving to high school when my friends were blaring rap. But when I was in my junior and senior year ... there was a shift, and my close friends starting listening to it (blues).”
Mason was also inspired by some local old-timers. One of his most vivid memories was having the late Eddie Tigner jump on stage and play piano with him. “He just walks up to this piano, and it was like listening to Otis Spann. It blew my mind. It was watching Tigner and Albert White and these local blues legends — that was the real deal.”
Many have cited Mason’s approach as similar to that of another, far younger, Atlanta icon — Sean Costello. Not surprisingly, he was also a major influence on 9V’s style. “It was Freddie King, B.B. King, and Sean Costello. He was why I bought a Goldtop Gibson, [[[[[[and] he’s the reason I play at Northside Tavern.”
Mason’s first release has only one cover; the rest are originals, though they borrow from established blues forms. “There’s no 100 percent originality in the blues anymore. That’s why the record appeals to a lot of people. I see a lot of younger kids being turned off (of blues) because there’s a lot of older people making it the wrong way. They go into these $100,000 studios, and it doesn’t come off as authentic to me.” None of that for Eddie. The album was predominantly recorded in his brother’s bedroom. Both got creative with the primitive conditions. At one point, says Eddie, “ I opened the window and put a mic outside. I was just trying to get weird sounds nobody else is going for.” Atlanta veteran Tinsley Ellis also provided advice, suggesting Mason write and record more original compositions. For better or worse, Ellis’ Alligator label boss, Bruce Iglauer, didn’t like the disc “because he thought it sounded too dirty and distorted.” Eddie laughs. “Which was my whole vision in the first place.”
There are other indie labels interested in Eddie 9-Volt’s gritty, more authentic style, though. And with the local success of his first homemade set, coupled with youthful enthusiasm, Mason might soon have even more in common with Costello — in the form of a thriving career and much wider recognition. —CL—
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Mason remains enthusiastic about both outfits, but the recent accolades he has received for the Eddie 9V side of his split personality — most notably grabbing second place in 2019’s Atlanta Blues Challenge for the Band category and generating buzz in the blues community — might push the scales over to his pursuing that occupation full-time. Nonetheless, PREACHERVAN, which arrived first, has over a million streams on Spotify. Eddie 9V was only birthed in the summer of 2019, so he’s reluctant to bury the indie rock persona just yet.
Mason chose the 9-Volt alter ego to describe the style of blues he plays. “I came up with this character that I thought would be cooler (than his real name) of the late ’60s time period. Like a mobster nickname.” As for the 9-Volt part, “Someone described the playing as sounding like a 9-volt battery before it dies, with a lot of distortion and fizzing out.” He took a poll and found that older people preferred his real name, but the younger ones, like him — he’s 23 — leaned towards the 9-Volt pseudonym. Based on the reception, he seems to have chosen correctly. Initially, the concept of having the same band with different names was to double the touring and income. “We’re very very versatile. If a fraternity wants us, we’ll do PREACHERVAN.” Sometimes they book under ''both'' names. “It can get confusing,” he admits.
Blues hit the guitarist/singer/songwriter early, when he was in his early teens, but in a unique guise. He watched a video by The Dirty Mac (Keith Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell) on YouTube (the ad hoc band only played once, offering a version of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues” during ''The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus'') in 1968. “I looked at the suggestion videos and saw Howlin’ Wolf. Who is that? He looks old and interesting.” The footage was a live Wolf show filmed during the Newport Folk Festival in 1966. “That just blew all the doors open. From there it was Magic Sam, Muddy Waters, … I’ve been hooked ever since.”
As Eddie 9V, his band captures the rawer sounds of ’50s and ’60s blues. He was exposed to many of the archetypal blues players from listening to, and then DJing on, WRFG-FM. The local nonprofit’s substantial blues programming was key to whetting the musical appetite of the teenaged Mason, back when such music wasn’t exactly the hippest thing going. “I was blaring Howlin’ Wolf in my car driving to high school when my friends were blaring rap. But when I was in my junior and senior year ... there was a shift, and my close friends starting listening to it (blues).”
Mason was also inspired by some local old-timers. One of his most vivid memories was having the late Eddie Tigner jump on stage and play piano with him. “He just walks up to this piano, and it was like listening to Otis Spann. It blew my mind. It was watching Tigner and Albert White and these local blues legends — that was the real deal.”
Many have cited Mason’s approach as similar to that of another, far younger, Atlanta icon — Sean Costello. Not surprisingly, he was also a major influence on 9V’s style. “It was Freddie King, B.B. King, and Sean Costello. He was why I bought a Goldtop Gibson, [[[[[[[[and] he’s the reason I play at Northside Tavern.”
Mason’s first release has only one cover; the rest are originals, though they borrow from established blues forms. “There’s no 100 percent originality in the blues anymore. That’s why the record appeals to a lot of people. I see a lot of younger kids being turned off (of blues) because there’s a lot of older people making it the wrong way. They go into these $100,000 studios, and it doesn’t come off as authentic to me.” None of that for Eddie. The album was predominantly recorded in his brother’s bedroom. Both got creative with the primitive conditions. At one point, says Eddie, “ I opened the window and put a mic outside. I was just trying to get weird sounds nobody else is going for.” Atlanta veteran Tinsley Ellis also provided advice, suggesting Mason write and record more original compositions. For better or worse, Ellis’ Alligator label boss, Bruce Iglauer, didn’t like the disc “because he thought it sounded too dirty and distorted.” Eddie laughs. “Which was my whole vision in the first place.”
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string(5926) " BLUES May 2020 1 Web 2020-05-11T21:26:41+00:00 BLUES_May_2020_1_web.jpg I knew him when he was Eddie 6V. blues&beyond Atlanta’s Eddie 9-Volt plugs into his influences on an impressive debut 31027 2020-05-01T04:19:00+00:00 BLUES & BEYOND: Warning! High-voltage blues jim.harris@creativeloafing.com Jim Harris Hal Horowitz 2020-05-01T04:19:00+00:00 Blues isn’t the only music that Brooks Mason plays. It still isn’t even his main gig. But the Atlanta-based musician — who goes by the stage name Eddie 9-Volt — found there was an audience for his stripped-down, soulful mix of gutbucket Chicago-styled roots blues as found on Left My Soul In Memphis, his debut album released October, 2019. And it might prove to be even more lucrative than the music of his other band, indie rockers PREACHERVAN, with whom he continues to play, record, and most interestingly, share the same members with.
Mason remains enthusiastic about both outfits, but the recent accolades he has received for the Eddie 9V side of his split personality — most notably grabbing second place in 2019’s Atlanta Blues Challenge for the Band category and generating buzz in the blues community — might push the scales over to his pursuing that occupation full-time. Nonetheless, PREACHERVAN, which arrived first, has over a million streams on Spotify. Eddie 9V was only birthed in the summer of 2019, so he’s reluctant to bury the indie rock persona just yet.
Mason chose the 9-Volt alter ego to describe the style of blues he plays. “I came up with this character that I thought would be cooler (than his real name) of the late ’60s time period. Like a mobster nickname.” As for the 9-Volt part, “Someone described the playing as sounding like a 9-volt battery before it dies, with a lot of distortion and fizzing out.” He took a poll and found that older people preferred his real name, but the younger ones, like him — he’s 23 — leaned towards the 9-Volt pseudonym. Based on the reception, he seems to have chosen correctly. Initially, the concept of having the same band with different names was to double the touring and income. “We’re very very versatile. If a fraternity wants us, we’ll do PREACHERVAN.” Sometimes they book under both names. “It can get confusing,” he admits.
Blues hit the guitarist/singer/songwriter early, when he was in his early teens, but in a unique guise. He watched a video by The Dirty Mac (Keith Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell) on YouTube (the ad hoc band only played once, offering a version of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues” during The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus) in 1968. “I looked at the suggestion videos and saw Howlin’ Wolf. Who is that? He looks old and interesting.” The footage was a live Wolf show filmed during the Newport Folk Festival in 1966. “That just blew all the doors open. From there it was Magic Sam, Muddy Waters, … I’ve been hooked ever since.”
As Eddie 9V, his band captures the rawer sounds of ’50s and ’60s blues. He was exposed to many of the archetypal blues players from listening to, and then DJing on, WRFG-FM. The local nonprofit’s substantial blues programming was key to whetting the musical appetite of the teenaged Mason, back when such music wasn’t exactly the hippest thing going. “I was blaring Howlin’ Wolf in my car driving to high school when my friends were blaring rap. But when I was in my junior and senior year ... there was a shift, and my close friends starting listening to it (blues).”
Mason was also inspired by some local old-timers. One of his most vivid memories was having the late Eddie Tigner jump on stage and play piano with him. “He just walks up to this piano, and it was like listening to Otis Spann. It blew my mind. It was watching Tigner and Albert White and these local blues legends — that was the real deal.”
Many have cited Mason’s approach as similar to that of another, far younger, Atlanta icon — Sean Costello. Not surprisingly, he was also a major influence on 9V’s style. “It was Freddie King, B.B. King, and Sean Costello. He was why I bought a Goldtop Gibson, [[[[[[and] he’s the reason I play at Northside Tavern.”
Mason’s first release has only one cover; the rest are originals, though they borrow from established blues forms. “There’s no 100 percent originality in the blues anymore. That’s why the record appeals to a lot of people. I see a lot of younger kids being turned off (of blues) because there’s a lot of older people making it the wrong way. They go into these $100,000 studios, and it doesn’t come off as authentic to me.” None of that for Eddie. The album was predominantly recorded in his brother’s bedroom. Both got creative with the primitive conditions. At one point, says Eddie, “ I opened the window and put a mic outside. I was just trying to get weird sounds nobody else is going for.” Atlanta veteran Tinsley Ellis also provided advice, suggesting Mason write and record more original compositions. For better or worse, Ellis’ Alligator label boss, Bruce Iglauer, didn’t like the disc “because he thought it sounded too dirty and distorted.” Eddie laughs. “Which was my whole vision in the first place.”
There are other indie labels interested in Eddie 9-Volt’s gritty, more authentic style, though. And with the local success of his first homemade set, coupled with youthful enthusiasm, Mason might soon have even more in common with Costello — in the form of a thriving career and much wider recognition. —CL—
Please send upcoming blues events to consider for CL’s Blues & Beyond concert calendar to hal.horowitz at creativeloafing.com. Donna Schreckengost BLUES POWER: Eddie 9-Volt packs up his classic blues. 0,0,17 blues&beyond BLUES & BEYOND: Warning! High-voltage blues "
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At least that’s the opinion of judges that voted her winner of 2019’s Atlanta Blues Challenge (for solo/duo act) sending her to represent this city in the prestigious International Blues Challenge held in Memphis in February of this year. While she didn’t win in her category, Strachota advanced to the semi-finals. She was also chosen Best Acoustic Artist (reader’s choice) in CL’s annual Best of Atlanta listings, recently opened Delbert McClinton’s Atlanta show, and is currently on a national tour to promote her third release, Pictures, which dropped in early March. It has taken years and lots of one-nighters, both with and without her band, but as of 2020, Mandi Strachota is well on her way.
What makes her path more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding, is her wide range of styles. While blues accounts for a large part of her approach, Strachota’s talents are far broader. Soul, jazz, reggae, New Orleans funk and especially gospel are also part of her repertoire. Her latest release, though it focuses more directly on blues, even features a musical saw (played by local musician Andrea Colburn of Andrea and Mud fame) on the opening track and Daryl Dunn’s flute fluttering on another selection, appropriately titled “Bird.”
Despite the three year gap between 2017’s Unleashed and Pictures, the recording process for the new disc went quickly. “After winning the Atlanta Blues Challenge, I was offered free studio time,” she explains. “So we recorded it all in four or five days.” Thankfully most of the songs had been written, some specifically for the Blues Challenge. Due to economics, schedules, and the fact that she is a full-time musician, Strachota doesn’t always play with backing musicians, though when she does, it can be with up to seven pieces. “I’m all over the board with that. Sometimes I do solo stuff, sometimes duo stuff … my tour is solo because I’m just not at the level yet that I can get bandmates to commit to traveling cross-country with me.” Still, she finds either method of performing rewarding. “I like both. The band (named the Major 7s — a witty play on their size and the major seventh chord) has so much energy, so it’s really fun to vibe off of them. But solo, I have more liberty … because I can play music the band doesn’t know.”
It helps that she’s adept on a variety of instruments too. “I play guitar and keyboard pretty regularly. Also a little bit of drums, saxophone, and violin, but I don’t play those on stage,” she says. Strachota started with classical piano when she was four but didn’t get serious on guitar, on which she was primarily self-taught, until she moved to Atlanta around 2003. It was around that time that she started playing professionally — sometimes doing private parties with Mudcat, then working with blues man Larry Griffith, and finally around 2007, getting paid for her own gigs. It has been a slow but steady growth from there.
The local connection extends to one of the finest and most moving tracks on the new album, “Have You No Shame,” written by the late Donnie McCormick, a legendary figure in Atlanta’s country and blues underground scene. The only non-original on Strachota’s albums, it’s given a feverish, inspirational gospel treatment. She first heard it when McCormick was playing weekly at the Northside Tavern where she hung out. “That was my favorite song of his. To me, Donnie was like getting to listen to Stevie Wonder in your living room. I didn’t understand why he wasn’t more adored. He was a superstar to me.”
Strachota’s churchy qualities come naturally. “My grandparents on both sides of the family were very religious, but very different. My dad’s side was Catholic and my mom’s side was Southern Baptist. I was in the gospel choir at (the University of) Notre Dame. We (she and her band) were doing a regular gospel show at Darwin’s before it closed.”
That’s just one of the eclectic approaches Strachota reveals on her releases. “I have many influences in so many different genres. This album is kind of the same (as her last). It’s mostly blues but there are obvious country, gospel, and R&B (and folk, jazz, and reggae) styles.” That makes it harder to classify Strachota’s music, other than tagging it with the somewhat vague “rootsy Americana” label. Songwriters she has been most influenced by range from Carole King and Willie Nelson to Bob Dylan. “They (the music industry) encourage you to pick one style and go with it.” She laughs, as if realizing the futility of trying to describe her music, or focus it in any single direction. “But my influences are so all over the board.”
There’s a joyful exuberance and vitality to everything on Pictures. It’s a perfect representation of Mandi Strachota’s diverse gifts. This is just the next chapter, though, from one of Atlanta’s most extraordinary musicians; one who has paid her dues and is finally getting the belated recognition she deserves."
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At least that’s the opinion of judges that voted her winner of 2019’s Atlanta Blues Challenge (for solo/duo act) sending her to represent this city in the prestigious International Blues Challenge held in Memphis in February of this year. While she didn’t win in her category, Strachota advanced to the semi-finals. She was also chosen Best Acoustic Artist (reader’s choice) in ''CL''’s annual Best of Atlanta listings, recently opened Delbert McClinton’s Atlanta show, and is currently on a national tour to promote her third release, ''Pictures'', which dropped in early March. It has taken years and lots of one-nighters, both with and without her band, but as of 2020, Mandi Strachota is well on her way.
What makes her path more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding, is her wide range of styles. While blues accounts for a large part of her approach, Strachota’s talents are far broader. Soul, jazz, reggae, New Orleans funk and especially gospel are also part of her repertoire. Her latest release, though it focuses more directly on blues, even features a musical saw (played by local musician Andrea Colburn of Andrea and Mud fame) on the opening track and Daryl Dunn’s flute fluttering on another selection, appropriately titled “Bird.”
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It helps that she’s adept on a variety of instruments too. “I play guitar and keyboard pretty regularly. Also a little bit of drums, saxophone, and violin, but I don’t play those on stage,” she says. Strachota started with classical piano when she was four but didn’t get serious on guitar, on which she was primarily self-taught, until she moved to Atlanta around 2003. It was around that time that she started playing professionally — sometimes doing private parties with Mudcat, then working with blues man Larry Griffith, and finally around 2007, getting paid for her own gigs. It has been a slow but steady growth from there.
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Despite the three year gap between 2017’s Unleashed and Pictures, the recording process for the new disc went quickly. “After winning the Atlanta Blues Challenge, I was offered free studio time,” she explains. “So we recorded it all in four or five days.” Thankfully most of the songs had been written, some specifically for the Blues Challenge. Due to economics, schedules, and the fact that she is a full-time musician, Strachota doesn’t always play with backing musicians, though when she does, it can be with up to seven pieces. “I’m all over the board with that. Sometimes I do solo stuff, sometimes duo stuff … my tour is solo because I’m just not at the level yet that I can get bandmates to commit to traveling cross-country with me.” Still, she finds either method of performing rewarding. “I like both. The band (named the Major 7s — a witty play on their size and the major seventh chord) has so much energy, so it’s really fun to vibe off of them. But solo, I have more liberty … because I can play music the band doesn’t know.”
It helps that she’s adept on a variety of instruments too. “I play guitar and keyboard pretty regularly. Also a little bit of drums, saxophone, and violin, but I don’t play those on stage,” she says. Strachota started with classical piano when she was four but didn’t get serious on guitar, on which she was primarily self-taught, until she moved to Atlanta around 2003. It was around that time that she started playing professionally — sometimes doing private parties with Mudcat, then working with blues man Larry Griffith, and finally around 2007, getting paid for her own gigs. It has been a slow but steady growth from there.
The local connection extends to one of the finest and most moving tracks on the new album, “Have You No Shame,” written by the late Donnie McCormick, a legendary figure in Atlanta’s country and blues underground scene. The only non-original on Strachota’s albums, it’s given a feverish, inspirational gospel treatment. She first heard it when McCormick was playing weekly at the Northside Tavern where she hung out. “That was my favorite song of his. To me, Donnie was like getting to listen to Stevie Wonder in your living room. I didn’t understand why he wasn’t more adored. He was a superstar to me.”
Strachota’s churchy qualities come naturally. “My grandparents on both sides of the family were very religious, but very different. My dad’s side was Catholic and my mom’s side was Southern Baptist. I was in the gospel choir at (the University of) Notre Dame. We (she and her band) were doing a regular gospel show at Darwin’s before it closed.”
That’s just one of the eclectic approaches Strachota reveals on her releases. “I have many influences in so many different genres. This album is kind of the same (as her last). It’s mostly blues but there are obvious country, gospel, and R&B (and folk, jazz, and reggae) styles.” That makes it harder to classify Strachota’s music, other than tagging it with the somewhat vague “rootsy Americana” label. Songwriters she has been most influenced by range from Carole King and Willie Nelson to Bob Dylan. “They (the music industry) encourage you to pick one style and go with it.” She laughs, as if realizing the futility of trying to describe her music, or focus it in any single direction. “But my influences are so all over the board.”
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string(62) "Hal Horowitz, James Kelly, Narah Landress, and Joshua Robinson"
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string(15213) "!!THURSDAY, MARCH 5
TRIGGER HIPPY, Aisle 5. Returning soon after their December 2019 appearance, the revamped Trigger Hippy features ex-Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman (who recently penned a book about his time and misadventures with the band) and Nashville bassist Nick Govrik, now joined by lead singer and occasional sax player Amber Woodhouse. The result is soulful, bluesy, and occasionally funky Southern rock not far from Wet Willie or a scaled-down Tedeschi Trucks Band. — Hal Horowitz
::::
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 6
KRISTEN ENGLENZ, Eddie’s Attic. This CD-release show celebrates hometown girl (now in Nashville) Englenz’s new ingénue'' debut. The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist’s (hopefully she’ll display her French horn talents) disc was produced by ex-Wilco drummer Ken Coomer and features Englenz’s sultry voice on swampy, Southern folk rockers that find an elusive soulful groove. — HH
WILL HOGE/JULIE GRIBBLE, Gypsy Rose — Marietta. Get up close and personal with roots rocker Hoge in this intimate venue as he unloads on the current administration with songs from 2018’s socio-political My American Dream EP. Indie singer/songwriter Gribble’s tough and tender voice and her emotional, introspective songs make a solid opener for a sure sellout. — HH
TRUE BLOSSOM, NICHOLAS MALLIS, LAVEDA, DELOREAN GRAY — Mammal Gallery Sit back and relax in the neon lit atmosphere created by True Blossom, where a girl with magenta lips whispers sweet nothings into your ear. The East Atlanta band formed in 2017 during the rise of the Atlanta synth pop scene, and is making waves with its alluring juxtapositions of sounds: comforting, yet stirring; soft, yet punchy; minimalistic, yet engaging. Singer Sophie Cox and guitarist Chandler Kelley started recording their first few songs while still in high school, and by 2019 put out their first album, Heater, with the addition of Adam Weisberg (drummer), Nadav Flax (bassist), and Jamison Murphy (synths.) The album combines influences of studio formalism, sophisti-pop, and Stereolab. Now, True Blossom are working towards their next album as well as on tour promoting this new record with dancey and mesmerizing shows. Join them at Mammal Gallery for a candy-coated night of dream pop — first they’re sweet, then they’re sour! $8-$10. 9 p.m. — Narah Landress
!!SATURDAY MARCH 7
STURGILL SIMPSON/TYLER CHILDERS, Infinite Energy Center. How Simpson will incorporate his new album’s synth-pop heavy sound with the more organic country and singer/songwriter approach of his older albums is as unclear as how many of his old fans are on board for his rather drastic artistic transformation. No such problems for opener Kentucky born and bred Childers, whose second disc firmly built on the unvarnished country debut that made him a medium-sized venue headliner. — HH
SUNDAY MARCH 8
KATIE TOUPIN, Eddie’s Attic. Toupin’s unique two-person lineup — she and incredibly talented co-musician Michael Chavez play loops, synths, and organic instruments — will make you think there is a full band on stage as Toupin sings dark, bluesy pop with luminous, sultry vocals. The singer/songwriter’s 2019 Magnetic Moves solo debut (she used to be in the band Houndmouth) should have been more widely heard, since it was a highlight of the year. — HH
WEDNESDAY MARCH 11
THEM DIRTY ROSES, Eddie’s Attic. This whisky soaked Alabama quartet’s record collection seems to start and stop with the Georgia Satellites’ original trilogy from the mid-late ’80s. But since Dan Baird’s current lineup isn’t playing tonight, this is the next best thing as the Roses’ guitars crash and twang with robust red clay rocking. — HH
!!THURSDAY, MARCH 12
MARTY STUART & THE FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES – Variety Playhouse If any one performer encapsulates all the great things about country music, it is Marty Stuart. From his teen years in Lester Flatt’s band, to his time with Johnny Cash, and up through his ongoing reign as one of the most authentic and talented purveyors of the genre, Stuart continues to do it all. His commitment to promoting and maintaining the deep roots and traditions of the music shine brightly the moment he steps on stage. Touring in support of the reissue of The Pilgrim, his incredible concept album, Stuart and his amazing band of Superlatives will make it a night to remember. $35-$249. 8 p.m. — James Kelly
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 13
ERYKAH BADU, COMMON — State Farm Arena Erykah Badu and Common have a storied past together, and there is no denying their infectious chemistry on wax. Common’s soulful lyrics are the perfect compliment to Badu’s eclectic funk, and the sweet serenade of their Grammy-winning song “Love of my Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” showcases how well the two work and sound together. Seeing a neo-soul legend and a hip-hop pioneer in a stadium setting is an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up — this is one for the books. $59-$250+. 8 p.m. — Joshua Robinson
KEVN KINNEY, Hunt House — Marietta. The Drivin N Cryin frontman/founder is even more engaging when unplugged and solo than when he’s tearing it up with his veteran band. You never know where he’s going musically (although you can usually bet on hearing “Straight to Hell”) and his between-song chatter is also unpredictable but always witty and charming. SOLD OUT. — HH
!!SATURDAY MARCH 14
MARC BROUSSARD, Variety Playhouse. Louisiana roots/soul/blues belter Broussard has been touring and releasing albums for over 15 years, and knows how to deliver a riveting performance. His catalog is wildly eclectic, ranging from a recent children’s album of lullabies to covers of R&B classics and live acoustic sets, so you never know what you’ll get. But you can count on a professional show and him killing it on “Lonely Night in Georgia.” — HH
!!MONDAY MARCH 16
Walter Trout, Terminal West. The title of electrifying blues rocker Trout’s latest is Survivor Blues, and that’s an understatement. He’s had a series of health scares since a liver transplant in 2014, so the fact that he’s back touring and grinding out one-nighters at his age (late 60s) is pretty remarkable. Better yet, his blistering guitar hasn’t lost a step throughout the ordeal. — HH
!!WEDNESDAY MARCH 18
John Moreland/Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, Terminal West. Oklahoma folk/country/Americana singer/songwriter Moreland has a gruff voice that brings out the bluesy undercurrents of his emotional songs. He’ll be playing tracks from his new, swampy LP5 set, arguably his finest yet. Arrive early for opener Kinkel-Schuster, whose reserved yet ringing folk rockers are expressive and powerful. — HH
!!THURSDAY, MARCH 19
CRIS JACOBS BAND, Eddie’s Attic. His name might not be well known but Jacobs and his taut, groove-oriented band will blow the roof off Eddie’s with their combination of tough, Petty-styled Americana, country rocking, and jaw-dropping instrumental chops. His recent Color Where You Are album is just a teaser for what this talented band can do live. He won’t be playing places this intimate for long, so catch him now. — HH
WAYLON PAYNE, DOUG SEEGERS, GARRETT WHEELER — Smith’s Olde Bar The second generation of country music royalty is among us, and Waylon Payne (son of singer Sammi Smith and guitarist Jody Payne) does not need his parent’s laurels to define his place in the industry. An incredibly talented songwriter, musician, and actor, Payne has his own impeccable credentials to trumpet. While the contemporary Nashville songwriting machines may crank out pointless ditties, Payne’s work is on a different level, much more intelligent and thoughtful than the mainstream radio drivel. With fellow singer-songwriters Doug Seegers and Atlanta’s Garrett Wheeler on hand, you can expect some heartfelt and insightful tunes. $15. 6:30 p.m. (doors) — JK
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 20
RARE CREATURES, THE HAILS, LITTLE BIRD — Smith’s Olde Bar Formed by guitarist and vocalist Jay Hurtt and guitarist James Rubush in Annapolis in 2014, pop funk band Little Bird plays ambient soul music with sensual crooning and lively beats. Their jazzy new release, Familiar, delivers a genre bending, funky experience to what can otherwise be a repetitive indie scene, with surfy guitar riffs, sparkling synths, fluttering piano, and steady beats. Each song sounds as if it’s echoing across the walls of a dimly lit basement. In concert, Little Bird creates a similarly raw and intimate experience from the stage. $10-$13. 8 p.m. — NL
POST ANIMAL, TWEN — Masquerade (Purgatory) Imagine punk rock married to psychedelia, but having an open relationship with electronic, hard rock, and glam rock, and you get Post Animal, a psyche rock group from Chicago whose range within each album is nearly as expansive as the range between albums. Formed in 2014, they released their debut record, The Garden Series, in 2016. Their newest album, Forward Motion Godyssey (2020), takes a darker turn into the matrix of music. Mellow tempos alternate with thrashing guitar riffs, carried by electronic bleeps and dings and punk style vocals, in dark ebbs and flows that invoke themes of the nature of grief and life itself. $15. 7 p.m. — NL
!!SATURDAY MARCH 21
MICHELLE MALONE, Eddie’s Attic. Two shows 7 & 9 p.m. She’s a local icon as she somewhat reluctantly admits, but Moanin’ Malone doesn’t take her status for granted. Her taut, swampy rock, blues, and soul is steeped in a Southern sensibility, and when she tears into a slide guitar solo, it all comes together in a perfect storm of tough and tender rocking. — HH
NATHANIEL RATELIFF, Tabernacle. Soul/bluesman Rateliff cracked the big time with his booming, horn-infused rocking Night Sweats band. But he started as a low-key folk singer, which is where he returns on his new, mostly acoustic And It’s Still Alright release. How fans will react to this kinder, gentler, more sensitive, reflective, and ballad-oriented Rateliff is unclear, but since he’s playing a relatively large venue, he probably has some tricks up his sleeve. — HH
!!SATURDAY MARCH 21 and SUNDAY MARCH 22
CHICKEN RAID BLUES FESTIVAL, Waller’s Coffee Shop. See feature in Blues & Beyond. — HH
!!MONDAY MARCH 23
LEGENDARY SHACKSHAKERS with SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB, The EARL. Other than frontman and founding multitalented (banjo, harmonica, author, illustrator) wildman Colonel J.D. Wilkes, it’s hard to say who else is currently in the band he has led intermittently since 2001. Their latest album of unhinged swampy bluegrass, blues, and rockabilly was recorded live at Sun Studios, which should give you a good indication of the raw, rollicking sound. Hopefully local guitarist Rod Hamdallah, who has played in various Wilkes’ bands, will be along for this ride. — HH
::::
!!WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS, YANG, FLWR CHYLD — 529 Less than two weeks after dropping her Harvest Time EP, Brazilian-Norwegian artist Charlotte Dos Santos makes the trek to Atlanta for a jazzy evening of music. The show serves as the penultimate stop of her first North American Tour, and local talents Yang and Flwr Chyld are slated as openers. With such a talented bunch of songwriters and composers, the night is sure to be soulful and instrumentally rich. $12. 9 p.m. — JR
!!THURSDAY MARCH 26
BOTTLEROCKETS, Eddie’s Attic. After nearly 30 years of one-nighters and over a dozen rocking Americana albums, it’s a mystery why this Brian Henneman-led quartet isn’t more popular. Henneman’s literate, never pretentious songs capture the frustration of the working class with insight and sometimes surprising humor, and the band always tears it up live. If you haven’t experienced the Bottlerockets yet, now’s your chance to see what you’ve been missing for the past three decades. — HH
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 27
THE QUEENDOM — Mammal Gallery Rocket Rhonnie and AUDIADASOUND, this month’s stars of ATL Untrapped, have many major performances this month, and their upcoming show at Mammal Gallery is more than a one-off gig. The Queendom is set to perform at My Illegal Body II, a benefit concert for the Latino Community Fund. After a run at Ad•verse Fest in Athens and SXSW in Austin, Texas, the ladies return to the city for a homecoming show that means something. $10-$20. 9 p.m. — JR
!!SATURDAY, MARCH 28
DABABY, LIL BABY, WALE — State Farm Arena V103 has announced the powerhouse line-up to their upcoming V103 Live event, and it promises to be lit no matter which Baby you prefer — DaBaby or Lil Baby. In addition to the babies, veteran hip-hop poet Wale, Edgewood’s own Trouble, and social media starlet Kayla Nicole round out the bill. Even though Babyfest would have been a hilarious and apropos name for the star-studded event, it’s all good because the show is an extremely cost-efficient way to see two of the biggest rappers in music right now. $63-$124+. 8 p.m. — JR
KERMIT RUFFINS, City Winery. Ruffins is a colorful New Orleans veteran whose brash, bold trumpet and vocals encompass the history of jazz and blues in that storied music mecca. He doesn’t play here often, so take advantage of this gig to get in on a little post-Mardi Gras fun. — HH
!!TUESDAY, MARCH 31
RODNEY CROWELL — City Winery The total package of being a singer-songwriter AND a great performer is a gift, and Rodney Crowell has been delivering it for five decades. He seems to reinvent himself with each new album, and stage time with Emmylou Harris, and his ex, Rosanne Cash, have sharpened his wit and relationship with his audience. Some people simply observe and reflect the toils of life, and some prove that they have actually lived it. With a ton of great material (and a new album, Texas) to choose from, Crowell guarantees a wonderful and insightful evening, with equal parts laughter and tears. SOLD OUT. 8 p.m. — JK
!!WEDNESDAY APRIL 1
KENNY WAYNE SHEPPARD BAND/SAMANTHA FISH, Center Stage. This dynamic double bill of youngish but established blues rockers matches the serious guitar chops of Shepherd and Fish with solid, mostly original material. Both are touring behind well-received 2019 albums that display their prowess as songwriters as well as guitar slingers. Hopefully they will share the stage together, which in itself should be worth the price of admission. — HH
!!FRIDAY APRIL 3
The Music of Cream plays Disraeli Gears, Center Stage. The son of Ginger Baker (drummer Kofi Baker) with Eric Clapton’s nephew guitarist Will Johns are as close as we’ll get to the original power trio these days. Along with Sean McNabb (bass, vocals) and Chris Shutters (guitar, keyboards, vocals), they’re touring to reproduce Cream’s 1969 classic Disraeli Gears, arguably the band’s finest and most cohesive studio set. But since that album is barely a half hour long, expect plenty of other Cream gems and of course a lengthy drum solo, to expand the set. Bring your own air guitar. No, Jack Bruce’s son Malcolm Bruce is not along for the 2020 tour. — HH ''"
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string(15744) "!!__THURSDAY, MARCH 5__
__TRIGGER HIPPY, Aisle 5.__ Returning soon after their December 2019 appearance, the revamped Trigger Hippy features ex-Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman (who recently penned a book about his time and misadventures with the band) and Nashville bassist Nick Govrik, now joined by lead singer and occasional sax player Amber Woodhouse. The result is soulful, bluesy, and occasionally funky Southern rock not far from Wet Willie or a scaled-down Tedeschi Trucks Band. __— Hal Horowitz__
::{img fileId="29698" desc="desc" styledesc="text-align: left;" max="900px"}::
!!__FRIDAY, MARCH 6__
__KRISTEN ENGLENZ, Eddie’s Attic.__ This CD-release show celebrates hometown girl (now in Nashville) Englenz’s new ''ingénue'''' debut. The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist’s (hopefully she’ll display her French horn talents) disc was produced by ex-Wilco drummer Ken Coomer and features Englenz’s sultry voice on swampy, Southern folk rockers that find an elusive soulful groove. __— HH__
__WILL HOGE/JULIE GRIBBLE, Gypsy Rose — Marietta.__ Get up close and personal with roots rocker Hoge in this intimate venue as he unloads on the current administration with songs from 2018’s socio-political ''My American Dream'' EP. Indie singer/songwriter Gribble’s tough and tender voice and her emotional, introspective songs make a solid opener for a sure sellout. __— HH__
__TRUE BLOSSOM, NICHOLAS MALLIS, LAVEDA, DELOREAN GRAY — Mammal Gallery__ Sit back and relax in the neon lit atmosphere created by True Blossom, where a girl with magenta lips whispers sweet nothings into your ear. The East Atlanta band formed in 2017 during the rise of the Atlanta synth pop scene, and is making waves with its alluring juxtapositions of sounds: comforting, yet stirring; soft, yet punchy; minimalistic, yet engaging. Singer Sophie Cox and guitarist Chandler Kelley started recording their first few songs while still in high school, and by 2019 put out their first album, ''Heater'', with the addition of Adam Weisberg (drummer), Nadav Flax (bassist), and Jamison Murphy (synths.) The album combines influences of studio formalism, sophisti-pop, and Stereolab. Now, True Blossom are working towards their next album as well as on tour promoting this new record with dancey and mesmerizing shows. Join them at Mammal Gallery for a candy-coated night of dream pop — first they’re sweet, then they’re sour! $8-$10. 9 p.m. __— Narah Landress__
!!__SATURDAY MARCH 7__
__STURGILL SIMPSON/TYLER CHILDERS, Infinite Energy Center.__ How Simpson will incorporate his new album’s synth-pop heavy sound with the more organic country and singer/songwriter approach of his older albums is as unclear as how many of his old fans are on board for his rather drastic artistic transformation. No such problems for opener Kentucky born and bred Childers, whose second disc firmly built on the unvarnished country debut that made him a medium-sized venue headliner. __— HH__
__SUNDAY MARCH 8 __
__KATIE TOUPIN, Eddie’s Attic.__ Toupin’s unique two-person lineup — she and incredibly talented co-musician Michael Chavez play loops, synths, and organic instruments — will make you think there is a full band on stage as Toupin sings dark, bluesy pop with luminous, sultry vocals. The singer/songwriter’s 2019 Magnetic Moves solo debut (she used to be in the band Houndmouth) should have been more widely heard, since it was a highlight of the year. __— HH__
__WEDNESDAY MARCH 11 __
__THEM DIRTY ROSES, Eddie’s Attic.__ This whisky soaked Alabama quartet’s record collection seems to start and stop with the Georgia Satellites’ original trilogy from the mid-late ’80s. But since Dan Baird’s current lineup isn’t playing tonight, this is the next best thing as the Roses’ guitars crash and twang with robust red clay rocking. __— HH__
!!__THURSDAY, MARCH 12__
__MARTY STUART & THE FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES – Variety Playhouse__ If any one performer encapsulates all the great things about country music, it is Marty Stuart. From his teen years in Lester Flatt’s band, to his time with Johnny Cash, and up through his ongoing reign as one of the most authentic and talented purveyors of the genre, Stuart continues to do it all. His commitment to promoting and maintaining the deep roots and traditions of the music shine brightly the moment he steps on stage. Touring in support of the reissue of ''The Pilgrim'', his incredible concept album, Stuart and his amazing band of Superlatives will make it a night to remember. $35-$249. 8 p.m. __— James Kelly__
!!__FRIDAY, MARCH 13__
__ERYKAH BADU, COMMON — State Farm Arena__ Erykah Badu and Common have a storied past together, and there is no denying their infectious chemistry on wax. Common’s soulful lyrics are the perfect compliment to Badu’s eclectic funk, and the sweet serenade of their Grammy-winning song “Love of my Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” showcases how well the two work and sound together. Seeing a neo-soul legend and a hip-hop pioneer in a stadium setting is an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up — this is one for the books. $59-$250+. 8 p.m. __— Joshua Robinson__
__KEVN KINNEY, Hunt House — Marietta.__ The Drivin N Cryin frontman/founder is even more engaging when unplugged and solo than when he’s tearing it up with his veteran band. You never know where he’s going musically (although you can usually bet on hearing “Straight to Hell”) and his between-song chatter is also unpredictable but always witty and charming. SOLD OUT. __— HH__
!!__SATURDAY MARCH 14__
__MARC BROUSSARD, Variety Playhouse.__ Louisiana roots/soul/blues belter Broussard has been touring and releasing albums for over 15 years, and knows how to deliver a riveting performance. His catalog is wildly eclectic, ranging from a recent children’s album of lullabies to covers of R&B classics and live acoustic sets, so you never know what you’ll get. But you can count on a professional show and him killing it on “Lonely Night in Georgia.” __— HH__
!!__MONDAY MARCH 16 __
__Walter Trout, Terminal West.__ The title of electrifying blues rocker Trout’s latest is ''Survivor Blues'', and that’s an understatement. He’s had a series of health scares since a liver transplant in 2014, so the fact that he’s back touring and grinding out one-nighters at his age (late 60s) is pretty remarkable. Better yet, his blistering guitar hasn’t lost a step throughout the ordeal. __— HH__
!!__WEDNESDAY MARCH 18__
__John Moreland/Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, Terminal West.__ Oklahoma folk/country/Americana singer/songwriter Moreland has a gruff voice that brings out the bluesy undercurrents of his emotional songs. He’ll be playing tracks from his new, swampy LP5 set, arguably his finest yet. Arrive early for opener Kinkel-Schuster, whose reserved yet ringing folk rockers are expressive and powerful. __— HH__
!!__THURSDAY, MARCH 19__
__CRIS JACOBS BAND, Eddie’s Attic.__ His name might not be well known but Jacobs and his taut, groove-oriented band will blow the roof off Eddie’s with their combination of tough, Petty-styled Americana, country rocking, and jaw-dropping instrumental chops. His recent ''Color Where You Are'' album is just a teaser for what this talented band can do live. He won’t be playing places this intimate for long, so catch him now. __— HH__
__WAYLON PAYNE, DOUG SEEGERS, GARRETT WHEELER — Smith’s Olde Bar__ The second generation of country music royalty is among us, and Waylon Payne (son of singer Sammi Smith and guitarist Jody Payne) does not need his parent’s laurels to define his place in the industry. An incredibly talented songwriter, musician, and actor, Payne has his own impeccable credentials to trumpet. While the contemporary Nashville songwriting machines may crank out pointless ditties, Payne’s work is on a different level, much more intelligent and thoughtful than the mainstream radio drivel. With fellow singer-songwriters Doug Seegers and Atlanta’s Garrett Wheeler on hand, you can expect some heartfelt and insightful tunes. $15. 6:30 p.m. (doors) __— JK__
!!__FRIDAY, MARCH 20__
__RARE CREATURES, THE HAILS, LITTLE BIRD — Smith’s Olde Bar__ Formed by guitarist and vocalist Jay Hurtt and guitarist James Rubush in Annapolis in 2014, pop funk band Little Bird plays ambient soul music with sensual crooning and lively beats. Their jazzy new release, ''Familiar'', delivers a genre bending, funky experience to what can otherwise be a repetitive indie scene, with surfy guitar riffs, sparkling synths, fluttering piano, and steady beats. Each song sounds as if it’s echoing across the walls of a dimly lit basement. In concert, Little Bird creates a similarly raw and intimate experience from the stage. $10-$13. 8 p.m. __— NL__
__POST ANIMAL, TWEN — Masquerade (Purgatory)__ Imagine punk rock married to psychedelia, but having an open relationship with electronic, hard rock, and glam rock, and you get Post Animal, a psyche rock group from Chicago whose range within each album is nearly as expansive as the range between albums. Formed in 2014, they released their debut record, ''The Garden Series'', in 2016. Their newest album, ''Forward Motion Godyssey'' (2020), takes a darker turn into the matrix of music. Mellow tempos alternate with thrashing guitar riffs, carried by electronic bleeps and dings and punk style vocals, in dark ebbs and flows that invoke themes of the nature of grief and life itself. $15. 7 p.m. __— NL __
!!__SATURDAY MARCH 21__
__MICHELLE MALONE, Eddie’s Attic. Two shows 7 & 9 p.m.__ She’s a local icon as she somewhat reluctantly admits, but Moanin’ Malone doesn’t take her status for granted. Her taut, swampy rock, blues, and soul is steeped in a Southern sensibility, and when she tears into a slide guitar solo, it all comes together in a perfect storm of tough and tender rocking. __— HH__
__NATHANIEL RATELIFF, Tabernacle.__ Soul/bluesman Rateliff cracked the big time with his booming, horn-infused rocking Night Sweats band. But he started as a low-key folk singer, which is where he returns on his new, mostly acoustic ''And It’s Still Alright'' release. How fans will react to this kinder, gentler, more sensitive, reflective, and ballad-oriented Rateliff is unclear, but since he’s playing a relatively large venue, he probably has some tricks up his sleeve. __— HH__
!!__SATURDAY MARCH 21 and SUNDAY MARCH 22__
__CHICKEN RAID BLUES FESTIVAL, Waller’s Coffee Shop.__ See feature in Blues & Beyond. __— HH__
!!__MONDAY MARCH 23__
__LEGENDARY SHACKSHAKERS with SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB, The EARL.__ Other than frontman and founding multitalented (banjo, harmonica, author, illustrator) wildman Colonel J.D. Wilkes, it’s hard to say who else is currently in the band he has led intermittently since 2001. Their latest album of unhinged swampy bluegrass, blues, and rockabilly was recorded live at Sun Studios, which should give you a good indication of the raw, rollicking sound. Hopefully local guitarist Rod Hamdallah, who has played in various Wilkes’ bands, will be along for this ride. __— HH__
::{img fileId="29693" desc="desc" styledesc="text-align: left;" max="900px"}::
!!__WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25__
__CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS, YANG, FLWR CHYLD — 529__ Less than two weeks after dropping her ''Harvest Time'' EP, Brazilian-Norwegian artist Charlotte Dos Santos makes the trek to Atlanta for a jazzy evening of music. The show serves as the penultimate stop of her first North American Tour, and local talents Yang and Flwr Chyld are slated as openers. With such a talented bunch of songwriters and composers, the night is sure to be soulful and instrumentally rich. $12. 9 p.m. __— JR__
!!__THURSDAY MARCH 26__
__BOTTLEROCKETS, Eddie’s Attic.__ After nearly 30 years of one-nighters and over a dozen rocking Americana albums, it’s a mystery why this Brian Henneman-led quartet isn’t more popular. Henneman’s literate, never pretentious songs capture the frustration of the working class with insight and sometimes surprising humor, and the band always tears it up live. If you haven’t experienced the Bottlerockets yet, now’s your chance to see what you’ve been missing for the past three decades. __— HH__
!!__FRIDAY, MARCH 27__
__THE QUEENDOM — Mammal Gallery__ Rocket Rhonnie and AUDIADASOUND, this month’s stars of ATL Untrapped, have many major performances this month, and their upcoming show at Mammal Gallery is more than a one-off gig. The Queendom is set to perform at My Illegal Body II, a benefit concert for the Latino Community Fund. After a run at Ad•verse Fest in Athens and SXSW in Austin, Texas, the ladies return to the city for a homecoming show that means something. $10-$20. 9 p.m. __— JR__
!!__SATURDAY, MARCH 28__
__DABABY, LIL BABY, WALE — State Farm Arena__ V103 has announced the powerhouse line-up to their upcoming V103 Live event, and it promises to be lit no matter which Baby you prefer — DaBaby or Lil Baby. In addition to the babies, veteran hip-hop poet Wale, Edgewood’s own Trouble, and social media starlet Kayla Nicole round out the bill. Even though Babyfest would have been a hilarious and apropos name for the star-studded event, it’s all good because the show is an extremely cost-efficient way to see two of the biggest rappers in music right now. $63-$124+. 8 p.m. __— JR__
__KERMIT RUFFINS, City Winery.__ Ruffins is a colorful New Orleans veteran whose brash, bold trumpet and vocals encompass the history of jazz and blues in that storied music mecca. He doesn’t play here often, so take advantage of this gig to get in on a little post-Mardi Gras fun. __— HH__
!!__TUESDAY, MARCH 31__
__RODNEY CROWELL — City Winery__ The total package of being a singer-songwriter AND a great performer is a gift, and Rodney Crowell has been delivering it for five decades. He seems to reinvent himself with each new album, and stage time with Emmylou Harris, and his ex, Rosanne Cash, have sharpened his wit and relationship with his audience. Some people simply observe and reflect the toils of life, and some prove that they have actually lived it. With a ton of great material (and a new album, ''Texas'') to choose from, Crowell guarantees a wonderful and insightful evening, with equal parts laughter and tears. SOLD OUT. 8 p.m. __— JK__
!!__WEDNESDAY APRIL 1__
__KENNY WAYNE SHEPPARD BAND/SAMANTHA FISH, Center Stage.__ This dynamic double bill of youngish but established blues rockers matches the serious guitar chops of Shepherd and Fish with solid, mostly original material. Both are touring behind well-received 2019 albums that display their prowess as songwriters as well as guitar slingers. Hopefully they will share the stage together, which in itself should be worth the price of admission. __— HH__
!!__FRIDAY APRIL 3__
__The Music of Cream plays ____''Disraeli Gears''____, Center Stage.__ The son of Ginger Baker (drummer Kofi Baker) with Eric Clapton’s nephew guitarist Will Johns are as close as we’ll get to the original power trio these days. Along with Sean McNabb (bass, vocals) and Chris Shutters (guitar, keyboards, vocals), they’re touring to reproduce Cream’s 1969 classic ''Disraeli Gears'', arguably the band’s finest and most cohesive studio set. But since that album is barely a half hour long, expect plenty of other Cream gems and of course a lengthy drum solo, to expand the set. Bring your own air guitar. [[No, Jack Bruce’s son Malcolm Bruce is not along for the 2020 tour.] __— HH__ ''"
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string(16258) " MM Pic Poguetry 1 Pc Zach Smith Web 2020-03-03T19:34:13+00:00 MM_pic_Poguetry_1_pc_Zach_Smith_web.jpg musicmenu 29696 2020-03-03T19:25:16+00:00 Music Menu - March 2020 jim.harris@creativeloafing.com Jim Harris Hal Horowitz, James Kelly, Narah Landress, and Joshua Robinson 2020-03-03T19:25:16+00:00 !!THURSDAY, MARCH 5
TRIGGER HIPPY, Aisle 5. Returning soon after their December 2019 appearance, the revamped Trigger Hippy features ex-Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman (who recently penned a book about his time and misadventures with the band) and Nashville bassist Nick Govrik, now joined by lead singer and occasional sax player Amber Woodhouse. The result is soulful, bluesy, and occasionally funky Southern rock not far from Wet Willie or a scaled-down Tedeschi Trucks Band. — Hal Horowitz
::::
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 6
KRISTEN ENGLENZ, Eddie’s Attic. This CD-release show celebrates hometown girl (now in Nashville) Englenz’s new ingénue'' debut. The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist’s (hopefully she’ll display her French horn talents) disc was produced by ex-Wilco drummer Ken Coomer and features Englenz’s sultry voice on swampy, Southern folk rockers that find an elusive soulful groove. — HH
WILL HOGE/JULIE GRIBBLE, Gypsy Rose — Marietta. Get up close and personal with roots rocker Hoge in this intimate venue as he unloads on the current administration with songs from 2018’s socio-political My American Dream EP. Indie singer/songwriter Gribble’s tough and tender voice and her emotional, introspective songs make a solid opener for a sure sellout. — HH
TRUE BLOSSOM, NICHOLAS MALLIS, LAVEDA, DELOREAN GRAY — Mammal Gallery Sit back and relax in the neon lit atmosphere created by True Blossom, where a girl with magenta lips whispers sweet nothings into your ear. The East Atlanta band formed in 2017 during the rise of the Atlanta synth pop scene, and is making waves with its alluring juxtapositions of sounds: comforting, yet stirring; soft, yet punchy; minimalistic, yet engaging. Singer Sophie Cox and guitarist Chandler Kelley started recording their first few songs while still in high school, and by 2019 put out their first album, Heater, with the addition of Adam Weisberg (drummer), Nadav Flax (bassist), and Jamison Murphy (synths.) The album combines influences of studio formalism, sophisti-pop, and Stereolab. Now, True Blossom are working towards their next album as well as on tour promoting this new record with dancey and mesmerizing shows. Join them at Mammal Gallery for a candy-coated night of dream pop — first they’re sweet, then they’re sour! $8-$10. 9 p.m. — Narah Landress
!!SATURDAY MARCH 7
STURGILL SIMPSON/TYLER CHILDERS, Infinite Energy Center. How Simpson will incorporate his new album’s synth-pop heavy sound with the more organic country and singer/songwriter approach of his older albums is as unclear as how many of his old fans are on board for his rather drastic artistic transformation. No such problems for opener Kentucky born and bred Childers, whose second disc firmly built on the unvarnished country debut that made him a medium-sized venue headliner. — HH
SUNDAY MARCH 8
KATIE TOUPIN, Eddie’s Attic. Toupin’s unique two-person lineup — she and incredibly talented co-musician Michael Chavez play loops, synths, and organic instruments — will make you think there is a full band on stage as Toupin sings dark, bluesy pop with luminous, sultry vocals. The singer/songwriter’s 2019 Magnetic Moves solo debut (she used to be in the band Houndmouth) should have been more widely heard, since it was a highlight of the year. — HH
WEDNESDAY MARCH 11
THEM DIRTY ROSES, Eddie’s Attic. This whisky soaked Alabama quartet’s record collection seems to start and stop with the Georgia Satellites’ original trilogy from the mid-late ’80s. But since Dan Baird’s current lineup isn’t playing tonight, this is the next best thing as the Roses’ guitars crash and twang with robust red clay rocking. — HH
!!THURSDAY, MARCH 12
MARTY STUART & THE FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES – Variety Playhouse If any one performer encapsulates all the great things about country music, it is Marty Stuart. From his teen years in Lester Flatt’s band, to his time with Johnny Cash, and up through his ongoing reign as one of the most authentic and talented purveyors of the genre, Stuart continues to do it all. His commitment to promoting and maintaining the deep roots and traditions of the music shine brightly the moment he steps on stage. Touring in support of the reissue of The Pilgrim, his incredible concept album, Stuart and his amazing band of Superlatives will make it a night to remember. $35-$249. 8 p.m. — James Kelly
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 13
ERYKAH BADU, COMMON — State Farm Arena Erykah Badu and Common have a storied past together, and there is no denying their infectious chemistry on wax. Common’s soulful lyrics are the perfect compliment to Badu’s eclectic funk, and the sweet serenade of their Grammy-winning song “Love of my Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” showcases how well the two work and sound together. Seeing a neo-soul legend and a hip-hop pioneer in a stadium setting is an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up — this is one for the books. $59-$250+. 8 p.m. — Joshua Robinson
KEVN KINNEY, Hunt House — Marietta. The Drivin N Cryin frontman/founder is even more engaging when unplugged and solo than when he’s tearing it up with his veteran band. You never know where he’s going musically (although you can usually bet on hearing “Straight to Hell”) and his between-song chatter is also unpredictable but always witty and charming. SOLD OUT. — HH
!!SATURDAY MARCH 14
MARC BROUSSARD, Variety Playhouse. Louisiana roots/soul/blues belter Broussard has been touring and releasing albums for over 15 years, and knows how to deliver a riveting performance. His catalog is wildly eclectic, ranging from a recent children’s album of lullabies to covers of R&B classics and live acoustic sets, so you never know what you’ll get. But you can count on a professional show and him killing it on “Lonely Night in Georgia.” — HH
!!MONDAY MARCH 16
Walter Trout, Terminal West. The title of electrifying blues rocker Trout’s latest is Survivor Blues, and that’s an understatement. He’s had a series of health scares since a liver transplant in 2014, so the fact that he’s back touring and grinding out one-nighters at his age (late 60s) is pretty remarkable. Better yet, his blistering guitar hasn’t lost a step throughout the ordeal. — HH
!!WEDNESDAY MARCH 18
John Moreland/Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, Terminal West. Oklahoma folk/country/Americana singer/songwriter Moreland has a gruff voice that brings out the bluesy undercurrents of his emotional songs. He’ll be playing tracks from his new, swampy LP5 set, arguably his finest yet. Arrive early for opener Kinkel-Schuster, whose reserved yet ringing folk rockers are expressive and powerful. — HH
!!THURSDAY, MARCH 19
CRIS JACOBS BAND, Eddie’s Attic. His name might not be well known but Jacobs and his taut, groove-oriented band will blow the roof off Eddie’s with their combination of tough, Petty-styled Americana, country rocking, and jaw-dropping instrumental chops. His recent Color Where You Are album is just a teaser for what this talented band can do live. He won’t be playing places this intimate for long, so catch him now. — HH
WAYLON PAYNE, DOUG SEEGERS, GARRETT WHEELER — Smith’s Olde Bar The second generation of country music royalty is among us, and Waylon Payne (son of singer Sammi Smith and guitarist Jody Payne) does not need his parent’s laurels to define his place in the industry. An incredibly talented songwriter, musician, and actor, Payne has his own impeccable credentials to trumpet. While the contemporary Nashville songwriting machines may crank out pointless ditties, Payne’s work is on a different level, much more intelligent and thoughtful than the mainstream radio drivel. With fellow singer-songwriters Doug Seegers and Atlanta’s Garrett Wheeler on hand, you can expect some heartfelt and insightful tunes. $15. 6:30 p.m. (doors) — JK
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 20
RARE CREATURES, THE HAILS, LITTLE BIRD — Smith’s Olde Bar Formed by guitarist and vocalist Jay Hurtt and guitarist James Rubush in Annapolis in 2014, pop funk band Little Bird plays ambient soul music with sensual crooning and lively beats. Their jazzy new release, Familiar, delivers a genre bending, funky experience to what can otherwise be a repetitive indie scene, with surfy guitar riffs, sparkling synths, fluttering piano, and steady beats. Each song sounds as if it’s echoing across the walls of a dimly lit basement. In concert, Little Bird creates a similarly raw and intimate experience from the stage. $10-$13. 8 p.m. — NL
POST ANIMAL, TWEN — Masquerade (Purgatory) Imagine punk rock married to psychedelia, but having an open relationship with electronic, hard rock, and glam rock, and you get Post Animal, a psyche rock group from Chicago whose range within each album is nearly as expansive as the range between albums. Formed in 2014, they released their debut record, The Garden Series, in 2016. Their newest album, Forward Motion Godyssey (2020), takes a darker turn into the matrix of music. Mellow tempos alternate with thrashing guitar riffs, carried by electronic bleeps and dings and punk style vocals, in dark ebbs and flows that invoke themes of the nature of grief and life itself. $15. 7 p.m. — NL
!!SATURDAY MARCH 21
MICHELLE MALONE, Eddie’s Attic. Two shows 7 & 9 p.m. She’s a local icon as she somewhat reluctantly admits, but Moanin’ Malone doesn’t take her status for granted. Her taut, swampy rock, blues, and soul is steeped in a Southern sensibility, and when she tears into a slide guitar solo, it all comes together in a perfect storm of tough and tender rocking. — HH
NATHANIEL RATELIFF, Tabernacle. Soul/bluesman Rateliff cracked the big time with his booming, horn-infused rocking Night Sweats band. But he started as a low-key folk singer, which is where he returns on his new, mostly acoustic And It’s Still Alright release. How fans will react to this kinder, gentler, more sensitive, reflective, and ballad-oriented Rateliff is unclear, but since he’s playing a relatively large venue, he probably has some tricks up his sleeve. — HH
!!SATURDAY MARCH 21 and SUNDAY MARCH 22
CHICKEN RAID BLUES FESTIVAL, Waller’s Coffee Shop. See feature in Blues & Beyond. — HH
!!MONDAY MARCH 23
LEGENDARY SHACKSHAKERS with SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB, The EARL. Other than frontman and founding multitalented (banjo, harmonica, author, illustrator) wildman Colonel J.D. Wilkes, it’s hard to say who else is currently in the band he has led intermittently since 2001. Their latest album of unhinged swampy bluegrass, blues, and rockabilly was recorded live at Sun Studios, which should give you a good indication of the raw, rollicking sound. Hopefully local guitarist Rod Hamdallah, who has played in various Wilkes’ bands, will be along for this ride. — HH
::::
!!WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS, YANG, FLWR CHYLD — 529 Less than two weeks after dropping her Harvest Time EP, Brazilian-Norwegian artist Charlotte Dos Santos makes the trek to Atlanta for a jazzy evening of music. The show serves as the penultimate stop of her first North American Tour, and local talents Yang and Flwr Chyld are slated as openers. With such a talented bunch of songwriters and composers, the night is sure to be soulful and instrumentally rich. $12. 9 p.m. — JR
!!THURSDAY MARCH 26
BOTTLEROCKETS, Eddie’s Attic. After nearly 30 years of one-nighters and over a dozen rocking Americana albums, it’s a mystery why this Brian Henneman-led quartet isn’t more popular. Henneman’s literate, never pretentious songs capture the frustration of the working class with insight and sometimes surprising humor, and the band always tears it up live. If you haven’t experienced the Bottlerockets yet, now’s your chance to see what you’ve been missing for the past three decades. — HH
!!FRIDAY, MARCH 27
THE QUEENDOM — Mammal Gallery Rocket Rhonnie and AUDIADASOUND, this month’s stars of ATL Untrapped, have many major performances this month, and their upcoming show at Mammal Gallery is more than a one-off gig. The Queendom is set to perform at My Illegal Body II, a benefit concert for the Latino Community Fund. After a run at Ad•verse Fest in Athens and SXSW in Austin, Texas, the ladies return to the city for a homecoming show that means something. $10-$20. 9 p.m. — JR
!!SATURDAY, MARCH 28
DABABY, LIL BABY, WALE — State Farm Arena V103 has announced the powerhouse line-up to their upcoming V103 Live event, and it promises to be lit no matter which Baby you prefer — DaBaby or Lil Baby. In addition to the babies, veteran hip-hop poet Wale, Edgewood’s own Trouble, and social media starlet Kayla Nicole round out the bill. Even though Babyfest would have been a hilarious and apropos name for the star-studded event, it’s all good because the show is an extremely cost-efficient way to see two of the biggest rappers in music right now. $63-$124+. 8 p.m. — JR
KERMIT RUFFINS, City Winery. Ruffins is a colorful New Orleans veteran whose brash, bold trumpet and vocals encompass the history of jazz and blues in that storied music mecca. He doesn’t play here often, so take advantage of this gig to get in on a little post-Mardi Gras fun. — HH
!!TUESDAY, MARCH 31
RODNEY CROWELL — City Winery The total package of being a singer-songwriter AND a great performer is a gift, and Rodney Crowell has been delivering it for five decades. He seems to reinvent himself with each new album, and stage time with Emmylou Harris, and his ex, Rosanne Cash, have sharpened his wit and relationship with his audience. Some people simply observe and reflect the toils of life, and some prove that they have actually lived it. With a ton of great material (and a new album, Texas) to choose from, Crowell guarantees a wonderful and insightful evening, with equal parts laughter and tears. SOLD OUT. 8 p.m. — JK
!!WEDNESDAY APRIL 1
KENNY WAYNE SHEPPARD BAND/SAMANTHA FISH, Center Stage. This dynamic double bill of youngish but established blues rockers matches the serious guitar chops of Shepherd and Fish with solid, mostly original material. Both are touring behind well-received 2019 albums that display their prowess as songwriters as well as guitar slingers. Hopefully they will share the stage together, which in itself should be worth the price of admission. — HH
!!FRIDAY APRIL 3
The Music of Cream plays Disraeli Gears, Center Stage. The son of Ginger Baker (drummer Kofi Baker) with Eric Clapton’s nephew guitarist Will Johns are as close as we’ll get to the original power trio these days. Along with Sean McNabb (bass, vocals) and Chris Shutters (guitar, keyboards, vocals), they’re touring to reproduce Cream’s 1969 classic Disraeli Gears, arguably the band’s finest and most cohesive studio set. But since that album is barely a half hour long, expect plenty of other Cream gems and of course a lengthy drum solo, to expand the set. Bring your own air guitar. No, Jack Bruce’s son Malcolm Bruce is not along for the 2020 tour. — HH '' Zack Smith CAJUN PUNK, F*CK YOU: Louisiana’s Lost Bayou Ramblers have proven themselves as rough ’n' ready. Just ask Bob Dylan, Tom Waits or the late Joe Strummer, who fronted the band for a while. Since 2015, Spider Stacey — yes, of THE POGUES — has fallen under their spell. Now, with the addition of original Pogues bass player Cait O’Riordan joining the fold, they perform as Poguetry, aptly taken from John Wirt’s review of them, ““When Spider Stacy and Cáit O’Riordan from the Pogues meet the Lost Bayou Ramblers they make Poguetry.” Enough said. The City Winery is the place, Thursday, March 12, the date. Don’t you dare miss it! 0,0,15 musicmenu Music Menu - March 2020 "
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THURSDAY, MARCH 5

TRIGGER HIPPY, Aisle 5. Returning soon after their December 2019 appearance, the revamped Trigger Hippy features ex-Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman (who recently penned a book about his time and misadventures with the band) and Nashville bassist Nick Govrik, now joined by lead singer and occasional sax player Amber Woodhouse. The result is soulful, bluesy, and...

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string(5156) "“Gotta get back to Cabbagetown, the music that they play there’s out of sight,” sings Tommy Roe, a one-time resident of the storied district about a mile outside of downtown Atlanta. In those few words — from a peppy, rockabilly tune recorded by the ’60s pop phenom in 2019 and included in the recently released Cabbagetown Chronicles Vol. 1 — Roe summarizes the feelings of musicians who have populated this historic intown neighborhood since even before Cabbagetown resident Fiddlin’ John Carson recorded some of the first country music there in the early 1900s.
The sounds that emerged from Cabbagetown, especially in the ’80s, were of a diverse lot that included legendary, if generally localized, folks such as Smoke, The Jody Grind and its follow-up act Kick Me (both featuring Kelly Hogan and Bill Taft), and the Rock*A*Teens. But it’s the late Joyce Brookshire — something of a folkie/earth mother type known for her ’70s songs such as “North Georgia Mountains,” “A Place to Rest My Heart,” and the disc’s brief opening “Cabbagetown Ballad” — whose influence looms large over both this tribute disc and the upcoming “Cabbagetown Chronicles CD Release” concert to be held where else but at the Joyce Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre in Cabbagetown Park.
Both the CD and the live concert reflect the ultimate labor of love for the music of the neighborhood made by its past and current residents. The disc was produced by James “Slim Chance” Kelly (CL contributor and frontman for the longstanding Slim Chance and the Convicts, who are featured on it), Steve Seachrist, and John Dirga, all of whom donated their time and expertise to making this nonprofit tribute a reality. It was a year-long project, funded by a grant from the Georgia Music Foundation, that culminated with the CD’s November 2019 release and now, a proper CD release celebration. The concert is made possible, in part, by the Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association (CNIA) and the Cabbagetown Initiative (CI), both of which provide support for the park, the community, and the annual series of performances held at the park.
Kelly explains that the Joyce Brookshire Amphitheater was once only used for the annual Chomp & Stomp Festival held in early November. “In 2018 we started doing a (free) concert series there. We do six shows a year (two acts per date) on the third Thursday of each month from April through October. This is the first show of 2020.”
The upcoming CD release event takes place April 4, starting at 4 p.m. A free event, as are all of the Cabbagetown concerts at the park, it’s scheduled to feature many of the performers included on the 24-track, 78-minute release, such as K. Michelle Dubois, T.T. Mahoney, The Chumblers, Anna Kramer, and W8ing4UFOS, the latter featuring Bill Taft, considered by many to be the Godfather of latter-day Cabbagetown music. The performances promise to be as eclectic as the artists that have been nurtured by the scene, from DuBois’ dark version of Roe’s “Pearl,” a wildly innovative departure from the frothy pop original, to the Convicts’ country “Crazy Cabbagetown Nights,” The Chumblers’ idiosyncratic folk/rocking “Eight-Ball” (originally by The Jody Grind), and T.T. Mahoney covering the Opal Foxx Quartet’s eerie ballad “Christmas.” Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, is probably the best known export of the community to be featured on the CD, with covers of two of her tunes performed by the Taft collective. Though she’s unlikely to be in attendance for the show, it’s undeniable her influence will be felt and acknowledged.
The evening promises to be a delightfully varied exploration of the somewhat scruffy, impossible-to-pigeonhole music that defies the categorization, but, in doing so, characterizes the Cabbagetown sound.
What exactly is the “Cabbagetown sound”? That’s difficult to describe, even for Kelly, who has immersed himself in it for the decades he has lived there. “It’s a broad term,” he says. “Between the Opal Foxx Quartet and The Jody Grind … they’re not mainstream musicians but creative, unusual, and hard to define (artists).” Many that emerged from the vicinity, such as Smoke, Kick Me, the Rock*A*Teens, and Cat Power, “were never really defined by any genre, other than their own thing. They don’t fit into any one category,” says Kelly. “But the reason we call it the Cabbagetown sound is based on geography. The whole zeitgeist in the neighborhood has been conducive to that creativity.”
The Cabbagetown Chronicles CD will be available at the Brookshire Amphitheatre, as well as at Wax ’N’ Facts, The Patch Work’s online store, and Little’s Food Store. As for the show, Kelly says, “It gives all the great bands and artists that participated (in the recording) the opportunity to celebrate and give the people of this neighborhood, and others, a chance to hear the music … and buy the CD.”
Free. 4 p.m. April 4. The Cabbagetown Chronicles CD release show. The Joyce Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre in Cabbagetown Park."
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The sounds that emerged from Cabbagetown, especially in the ’80s, were of a diverse lot that included legendary, if generally localized, folks such as Smoke, The Jody Grind and its follow-up act Kick Me (both featuring Kelly Hogan and Bill Taft), and the Rock*A*Teens. But it’s the late Joyce Brookshire — something of a folkie/earth mother type known for her ’70s songs such as “North Georgia Mountains,” “A Place to Rest My Heart,” and the disc’s brief opening “Cabbagetown Ballad” — whose influence looms large over both this tribute disc and the upcoming “Cabbagetown Chronicles CD Release” concert to be held where else but at the Joyce Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre in Cabbagetown Park.
Both the CD and the live concert reflect the ultimate labor of love for the music of the neighborhood made by its past and current residents. The disc was produced by James “Slim Chance” Kelly (''CL'' contributor and frontman for the longstanding Slim Chance and the Convicts, who are featured on it), Steve Seachrist, and John Dirga, all of whom donated their time and expertise to making this nonprofit tribute a reality. It was a year-long project, funded by a grant from the Georgia Music Foundation, that culminated with the CD’s November 2019 release and now, a proper CD release celebration. The concert is made possible, in part, by the Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association (CNIA) and the Cabbagetown Initiative (CI), both of which provide support for the park, the community, and the annual series of performances held at the park.
Kelly explains that the Joyce Brookshire Amphitheater was once only used for the annual Chomp & Stomp Festival held in early November. “In 2018 we started doing a (free) concert series there. We do six shows a year (two acts per date) on the third Thursday of each month from April through October. This is the first show of 2020.”
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The upcoming CD release event takes place April 4, starting at 4 p.m. A free event, as are all of the Cabbagetown concerts at the park, it’s scheduled to feature many of the performers included on the 24-track, 78-minute release, such as K. Michelle Dubois, T.T. Mahoney, The Chumblers, Anna Kramer, and W8ing4UFOS, the latter featuring Bill Taft, considered by many to be the Godfather of latter-day Cabbagetown music. The performances promise to be as eclectic as the artists that have been nurtured by the scene, from DuBois’ dark version of Roe’s “Pearl,” a wildly innovative departure from the frothy pop original, to the Convicts’ country “Crazy Cabbagetown Nights,” The Chumblers’ idiosyncratic folk/rocking “Eight-Ball” (originally by The Jody Grind), and T.T. Mahoney covering the Opal Foxx Quartet’s eerie ballad “Christmas.” Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, is probably the best known export of the community to be featured on the CD, with covers of two of her tunes performed by the Taft collective. Though she’s unlikely to be in attendance for the show, it’s undeniable her influence will be felt and acknowledged.
The evening promises to be a delightfully varied exploration of the somewhat scruffy, impossible-to-pigeonhole music that defies the categorization, but, in doing so, characterizes the Cabbagetown sound.
What exactly is the “Cabbagetown sound”? That’s difficult to describe, even for Kelly, who has immersed himself in it for the decades he has lived there. “It’s a broad term,” he says. “Between the Opal Foxx Quartet and The Jody Grind … they’re not mainstream musicians but creative, unusual, and hard to define (artists).” Many that emerged from the vicinity, such as Smoke, Kick Me, the Rock*A*Teens, and Cat Power, “were never really defined by any genre, other than their own thing. They don’t fit into any one category,” says Kelly. “But the reason we call it the Cabbagetown sound is based on geography. The whole zeitgeist in the neighborhood has been conducive to that creativity.”
The ''Cabbagetown Chronicles'' CD will be available at the Brookshire Amphitheatre, as well as at Wax ’N’ Facts, The Patch Work’s online store, and Little’s Food Store. As for the show, Kelly says, “It gives all the great bands and artists that participated (in the recording) the opportunity to celebrate and give the people of this neighborhood, and others, a chance to hear the music … and buy the CD.”
''Free. 4 p.m. April 4. The Cabbagetown Chronicles CD release show. The Joyce Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre in Cabbagetown Park.''"
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string(5747) " CC Cover 5 At 300dpi 2020-03-02T23:34:40+00:00 CC-Cover-5_-at-300dpi.jpg cabbagetown chronicles neighborhood2020 The CD release party for “Cabbagetown Chronicles” celebrates the musical influences of Atlanta’s historic neighborhood 29647 2020-03-03T15:52:43+00:00 Cabbagetown comes alive jim.harris@creativeloafing.com Jim Harris Hal Horowitz 2020-03-03T15:52:43+00:00 “Gotta get back to Cabbagetown, the music that they play there’s out of sight,” sings Tommy Roe, a one-time resident of the storied district about a mile outside of downtown Atlanta. In those few words — from a peppy, rockabilly tune recorded by the ’60s pop phenom in 2019 and included in the recently released Cabbagetown Chronicles Vol. 1 — Roe summarizes the feelings of musicians who have populated this historic intown neighborhood since even before Cabbagetown resident Fiddlin’ John Carson recorded some of the first country music there in the early 1900s.
The sounds that emerged from Cabbagetown, especially in the ’80s, were of a diverse lot that included legendary, if generally localized, folks such as Smoke, The Jody Grind and its follow-up act Kick Me (both featuring Kelly Hogan and Bill Taft), and the Rock*A*Teens. But it’s the late Joyce Brookshire — something of a folkie/earth mother type known for her ’70s songs such as “North Georgia Mountains,” “A Place to Rest My Heart,” and the disc’s brief opening “Cabbagetown Ballad” — whose influence looms large over both this tribute disc and the upcoming “Cabbagetown Chronicles CD Release” concert to be held where else but at the Joyce Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre in Cabbagetown Park.
Both the CD and the live concert reflect the ultimate labor of love for the music of the neighborhood made by its past and current residents. The disc was produced by James “Slim Chance” Kelly (CL contributor and frontman for the longstanding Slim Chance and the Convicts, who are featured on it), Steve Seachrist, and John Dirga, all of whom donated their time and expertise to making this nonprofit tribute a reality. It was a year-long project, funded by a grant from the Georgia Music Foundation, that culminated with the CD’s November 2019 release and now, a proper CD release celebration. The concert is made possible, in part, by the Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association (CNIA) and the Cabbagetown Initiative (CI), both of which provide support for the park, the community, and the annual series of performances held at the park.
Kelly explains that the Joyce Brookshire Amphitheater was once only used for the annual Chomp & Stomp Festival held in early November. “In 2018 we started doing a (free) concert series there. We do six shows a year (two acts per date) on the third Thursday of each month from April through October. This is the first show of 2020.”
The upcoming CD release event takes place April 4, starting at 4 p.m. A free event, as are all of the Cabbagetown concerts at the park, it’s scheduled to feature many of the performers included on the 24-track, 78-minute release, such as K. Michelle Dubois, T.T. Mahoney, The Chumblers, Anna Kramer, and W8ing4UFOS, the latter featuring Bill Taft, considered by many to be the Godfather of latter-day Cabbagetown music. The performances promise to be as eclectic as the artists that have been nurtured by the scene, from DuBois’ dark version of Roe’s “Pearl,” a wildly innovative departure from the frothy pop original, to the Convicts’ country “Crazy Cabbagetown Nights,” The Chumblers’ idiosyncratic folk/rocking “Eight-Ball” (originally by The Jody Grind), and T.T. Mahoney covering the Opal Foxx Quartet’s eerie ballad “Christmas.” Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, is probably the best known export of the community to be featured on the CD, with covers of two of her tunes performed by the Taft collective. Though she’s unlikely to be in attendance for the show, it’s undeniable her influence will be felt and acknowledged.
The evening promises to be a delightfully varied exploration of the somewhat scruffy, impossible-to-pigeonhole music that defies the categorization, but, in doing so, characterizes the Cabbagetown sound.
What exactly is the “Cabbagetown sound”? That’s difficult to describe, even for Kelly, who has immersed himself in it for the decades he has lived there. “It’s a broad term,” he says. “Between the Opal Foxx Quartet and The Jody Grind … they’re not mainstream musicians but creative, unusual, and hard to define (artists).” Many that emerged from the vicinity, such as Smoke, Kick Me, the Rock*A*Teens, and Cat Power, “were never really defined by any genre, other than their own thing. They don’t fit into any one category,” says Kelly. “But the reason we call it the Cabbagetown sound is based on geography. The whole zeitgeist in the neighborhood has been conducive to that creativity.”
The Cabbagetown Chronicles CD will be available at the Brookshire Amphitheatre, as well as at Wax ’N’ Facts, The Patch Work’s online store, and Little’s Food Store. As for the show, Kelly says, “It gives all the great bands and artists that participated (in the recording) the opportunity to celebrate and give the people of this neighborhood, and others, a chance to hear the music … and buy the CD.”
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